


Dissatisfying Quadrilles

by Soawksahm (socawkSAHM)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Romance, recency period
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-12-06 21:44:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11609559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socawkSAHM/pseuds/Soawksahm
Summary: [Late Georgian/Early Victorian Era AU] After making his fortune though aid of a man with a skewed sense of ethics, Jellal Fernandez returns to a society that once shunned him for his lack of means only to find himself now looked down upon for how he gained success. It would be of little consequence if it weren't for a certain girl from his childhood, a girl with unforgettable scarlet hair.





	1. Just One More Dance

She spun away from him and a lock of hair came loose from her perfectly coiffed updo. She would be frustrated with it when she discovered the stray strands later but he didn't dare bring it to her attention now. He wanted to keep her here with him as long as possible. He watched as it danced around her like a red satin ribbon in the wind. What he wouldn't give to tear the rest free from its pins, to run his fingers through it. What he wouldn't do to have more than just one dance on her card tonight.

He knew when the music was over she would no longer be his. She would return to the dark man currently scowling at him from the corner of the room, the man her mother had found more suitable. Still, Jellal could pretend. Pretend that she felt the same sparks he did when their fingers touched. Pretend that it wasn't his imagination that she had shivered when his hand touched the small of her back. Pretend that her smiles were because of him and not because of the liveliness of the music and the dance.

He didn't know why he tortured himself like this and yet he couldn't stop. Every time he found she was attending the same social event he would request as many slots on her dance card as society deemed appropriate. He knew he wasn't completely out of line as she had not yet refused him, not once, and Erza was not the kind of woman who did things she didn't want to just for the sake of politeness.

Her eyes caught his and he smiled, a genuine smile he reserved only for her. He swore he saw her cheeks turn a pleasant shade of pink but she turned away from him as the steps of the dance required and when she faced him again all signs of the color were gone. He cursed that this stuffy old crowd would not let them waltz, the quadrille did not allow the closeness he craved. If only this world they lived in would give him time with her alone. If only her mother didn't watch them like a hawk. What Erza would he see if it was just the two of them? The strong, no nonsense woman he saw across the table arguing politics at dinner parties? Or maybe the sweet, adventurous girl he remembered from his days as a boy? Or maybe something else, something new, something just for him.

The song was coming to an end and his soul began to despair. Once again his past was pulling him back and placing its hands around his throat. If only he had been smarter, if only he had not been so wild. If only he had gone into the law or become an officer in the Navy as his father had desired. Then, maybe her mother would not be glaring at him so openly across the ballroom, maybe the ladies in the room wouldn't be whispering behind their gloved hands every time he led her onto the dance floor, and maybe she would be marrying him in the spring instead of that clod who didn't deserve her.

The music came to a halt and the musicians began adjusting in their places, preparing for the next dance. Erza looked lost, as if like him she didn't want to leave this moment. "Thank you for the dance Miss Scarlet," he murmured. He knew using his old term of endearment for her was risky, he shouldn't presume he could treat her with such familiarity, but the hell with convention, he was almost out of time. He swiftly took her hand and kissed it with a bow, not caring who saw, knowing full well he was pressing his luck. Let the room call him a cad, let the room say he was nothing but a playboy. These days finding an excuse to touch her was his only ambition. Touching his lips to her hand, even through the glove, was like a cool drink on a hot day, refreshing and rejuvenating. He couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like when lips touched skin. What it would be like to kiss her cheek, her lips, her throat, her. . .

He lifted his eyes to her face, trying to turn the tide of his thoughts. To his surprise she didn't jerk away, or give him the usual rebuke from her sharp tongue. Instead, she was staring down at their hands mournfully. Sorrow washed over him, he hated the expression he had just put on her face. He preferred her red, angry or smiling secretly, not this pale despair he saw in front of him. "Is everything alright?" he whispered.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. The sad expression quickly disappeared, replaced with an embarrassed grimace. She pulled her hand away, fingers squeezing his thumb slightly in her escape. With a small pained pinch to her face she whispered back, "I'm fine, if you will please excuse me." Then she hurried away before he could utter another word.

Jellal stood there watching her weave her way through the crowd at the side of the room until the dancers began to assemble for the upcoming reel. He wandered off the dance floor as if lost. He was unable to focus on anything except for the tingling in his hand. What was that? Did it mean anything? If it did, was there even anything he could do about it?

Flabbergasted, he decided to track her down and demand an explanation but was held in place by a firm grip on his arm. "Ya told me to keep ya from making an ass of yerself but yer sure making it an impossible task." Erik began pulling Jellal towards the door. "It's time we left, you have displeased her majesty."

Jellal glanced over at the Countess Belserion. If looks could kill he would be drawing his last breath, but it was only a look so he gave her a smirk and a wink in return. He hadn't believed it possible but somehow her expression darkened. He smiled at Erik and quipped, "She's not so bad. I think she's actually warming up to me."

Erik made a guttural sound of frustration that Jellal had become all too familiar with then spat, "Even so, she gives me the willies, we're leaving. She's probably cursing us as we speak." He pulled more forcefully on Jellal's arm.

"Wait now, just a second. I have to find her, I have to ask something," Jellal cried, though he didn't put up a fight as Erik shuffled him towards the door.

"Not a chance Romeo, that fiance of hers has been known for his temper. You keep on like this and he'll be tracking you down for a duel. Imagine the scandal, just think what you would put the lady through. Get yer head straight," Erik growled as they made their way to the front where Richard waited with their coats and hats in hand.

Jellal looked over his shoulder one more time but was unable to find her red hair in the crowd. He sighed. "Yes, of course. Thank you. I wasn't thinking." He allowed Richard to help him into his coat and with a despondent nod followed the two men out the front door.

When they were nearly to the carriage Erik said, "I think maybe we should get out of town for a while. Some fresh air would do you good. We've been to too many stuffy parties these past few months, it's addled yer brain." He pulled himself into the body of the carriage without a glance back.

"Maybe. . ." Jellal said, though it wasn't necessary. Erik knew full well that Jellal would not be leaving town unless the Belserions left as well.

"Did you enjoy yourself sir?" Richard asked as he followed Jellal in.

The whole carriage creaked and dipped with the large valet's weight. From his perch up in the driver's seat, Sawyer grumbled, "Gonna topple us over that one is."

Jellal gave a lopsided grin as Richard crammed himself onto the bench across from them. "I had a very good time Richard. I'm glad I went."

Richard sighed into his seat, visibly relieved. "That's good sir. I was a little worried, what with all the rumors circling."

Erik chuckled, "All not well downstairs today?"

Richard nodded, "Kagura was tight lipped as usual but Millianna said that the countess was in an uproar that Lady Porlyursica had the gall to invite you."

Jellal grinned and knocked on the roof of the carriage to let the driver know they were ready to head for home. He leaned towards Erik and said, "She finds me entertaining."

Erik rolled his eyes. "The devil knows why. I get the feeling you're the only person on this earth she can stand. She wouldn't have thrown this party at all if it wasn't tradition."

Jellal turned back to Richard. "Did Millianna say anything else?" he asked, daring to hope that maybe Erza thought of him as much as he thought of her.

"The countess almost didn't come tonight, apparently Miss Erza begged and pleaded. The countess only relented" -Richard leaned forward- "because she didn't want to give fuel to the spark that is starting about her future son-in-law."

"Future son-in-law? What is happening with him?" Jellal asked, leaning forward as well.

Erik groaned, "Don't encourage him Richard, he's bad enough as it is."

Richard continued undeterred, "Millianna wasn't sure sir but I tracked down Wally and he says that apparently Lord Groh is not as wealthy as everyone believes him to be. Apparently Lord Groh lost quite a lot of money gambling in a few seedy places downtown and then he lost a lot more of  _other_ people's money on an investment he was hoping to redeem himself with. This marriage isn't quite the match that the countess thought it would be. It would seem it is exactly the opposite of what she was aiming for."

Jellal leaned back in his seat unable to stop the wide smile growing on his face. He felt giddy, he felt alive. Finally, he might have some kind of chance.

Then Erik brought him back down to earth with a slap on the back and a "Hey look Jellal, there might  _actually_  be someone the countess hates more than you now." Jellal sighed and sunk back in his seat. The world was a cruel place when the only path to his light was guarded by a tigress with large teeth and merciless claws.


	2. The Origin of Miss Scarlet

Jellal Fernandez first made Miss Erza Belserion's acquaintance during the summer of his twelfth year. His father had just presented him with a roan stallion and he was determined to ride it over to show Laxus Dreyar the superiority of his new ride. The previous summer Laxus had paraded his own new pony and cart as if he were emperor of Rome and refused to let Jellal even ride in it much less drive it. While he did not have a cart, his horse was clearly better, with its silver coat and hair that was black and shiny as a raven's wing. He could not wait to see the expression on Laxus' face when he trotted the handsome horse by.

When he first saw Erza, he did not think she was anyone of consequence due to the disheveled appearance of her clothing, but he was drawn towards her by the unusual scarlet colored hair that whipped around her face. On closer inspection, he was surprised to find that she was in fact wearing a dress of high quality fabric tucked into a pair of boys trousers and on her hands a pair of old riding gloves. She stood there in that odd outfit, using all her might to strike the trunk of an old oak tree with a large stick. All the while one of Lord Dreyar's Irish wolfhounds looked on with lazy diligence.

He watched her for a long time unsure of what to make of her. He did not see any governess in plain sight and he couldn't think of a time nor a place where such a strange outfit would be considered fitting for a girl of any sort of station. Eventually he decided that she must be a thief who stole the clothing and didn't know how to wear it. Of course, being the son of the neighboring Lord, he felt it was his duty to call her out on her mischief.

She was so focused on her attack that she didn't hear him approaching. The hound, being familiar with Jellal, greeted him with a slight wag of the tail then put his head back between his legs without a peep. Jellal waited behind her wearing his sternest expression, just as his father used when he misbehaved, but quickly it became obvious that unless he made some kind of noise, she would never register his presence. So, he cleared his throat loudly and said, "What in the world did that tree ever do to you?"

She froze, then while defensively holding the stick out in front of her, she slowly turned towards him. When her eyes finally found him, the expression on her face scrunched from terror to irritation. "How dare you interrupt my practice!" she scolded while shaking her stick in his direction.

Jellal wasn't sure whether to be more outraged by her lack of respect or by the fact that she clearly did not see him as a threat. "Where did you get those trousers?" he shouted, cringing internally when his voice squeaked mid-accusation.

The small girl frowned down at the pants that were clearly multiple sizes too large. "They were in the discard pile. Laxus won't miss them, it's not as if they fit him anymore."

Jellal narrowed his eyes. "And the dress?" he asked. He tried to sit straighter on his horse in hopes that good posture would make him appear intimidating enough to make up for his frustratingly changing voice.

She did not seem intimidated in the slightest when she jerked her head up with indignation and snarled, "It's mine of course."

Jellal frowned. The dress was clearly expensive and appeared barely worn, it couldn't possibly be a cast off from an employer. He wondered if the Dreyar's had visitors. Once again he searched the area. "And your governess allows you to wear trousers over your dress?"

Her face pinched tight. Jellal prepared himself for whatever little lie came out of her mouth as that was what he had become accustomed to hearing from little girls, but to his surprise she instead blew out a sigh and looked down at her toes before admitting, "No, she does not." Then, she lifted her head and added with wide pleading eyes, "But she also does not like mud on my skirts. This is the only way to keep them clean!"

Jellal raised a brow. "You could just  _not_  play outside, or perhaps play a little more . . . gracefully?" he offered.

The little girl turned bright red. "Not play outside? That would be completely ridiculous!"

"And where is your governess now? Does she know you are traipsing about, beating trees into submission?" Jellal asked.

The little girl went pale. She said "no" so quietly he almost didn't catch it and the stick went limp at her side. "Please don't tell her. Miss Kamika would be very cross with me if she knew," she added in a whisper.

Her face looked so forlorn that Jellal began to regret being so cross with her. He supposed she wasn't really hurting anyone by attacking a tree, even if the behavior was completely bizarre. He was all too familiar with Miss Kamika. Though it was odd that this unfamiliar girl would have Laxus' old nanny as her governess. As he remembered, the woman cared very little about education and was much more concerned with children being quiet and unseen. He also remembered the woman being unspeakably cruel.

Lord Dreyar believed having a firm hand raise his son would make Laxus both tough and well-behaved. He was correct in thinking it would make the boy tough. Jellal still cringed at the memory of the switching Laxus had received when he stole the evening's dessert from the kitchen and ate it all by himself in the garden before dinner. Laxus hadn't even flinched, his scowl just deepened with every lash, as if plotting Miss Kamika's demise. Even last summer, Laxus was bigger and stronger than boys five years his senior and Jellal would not be surprised if this year he was bigger still. Unfortunately, as far as being well-behaved, Laxus was anything but. This year he had been kicked out of his third boarding school, Jellal anticipated Laxus would be exceedingly proud of this fact.

The girl took Jellal's silent pondering as a sign that he was planning on turning her in. She dropped the stick and folded her hands tightly in front of her chest. "Please, please don't tell her! She doesn't mind if my skirts are wrinkled as long as I haven't woke her from her nap! My being outside doesn't hurt anyone, I promise!"

Pulled from his musings, Jellal more declared than asked, "How in the world did you end up with Miss Kamika for a governess!?" The girl was just a slip of a thing, and Jellal doubted that age had dulled Miss Kamika's rage.

The girl cocked her head in confusion. "Lord Dreyar says that she's the only one who could ever make me a lady," she explained hesitantly.

"You?! A lady?!" He looked down again at her poofed out trousers and oversized riding gloves and doubled over in laughter.

His laughter renewed her indignation. "I could be a lady if I wanted!"

Jellal decided he much prefered her angry to sad, so he smirked and gave her a mocking bow. "My apologies Miss Scarlet, I forget myself."

She drew her brows down angrily then picked up the stick from the ground. "It doesn't matter anyway, I don't want to be a lady." She returned to her abuse of the oak tree and an adorable smile warmed her face as she declared, "My name isn't Scarlet, it's Erza, and I'm going to be a knight!"

"A knight?" At this point Jellal decided he very much liked this strange, little hoyden but he felt it was his responsibility, being older and wiser, to inform her, "You can't be a knight, you're a girl!"

She stopped hitting the tree and spun back towards him, "Joan of Arc was a girl!"

Jellal chuckled, she was so naive. "Joan of Arc didn't make it to her twentieth year. And besides, she wasn't a knight, and even worse, she was French! Hardly an appropriate role model. Unless of course, your grand ambition is to be burned at the stake."

To his delight, Erza turned bright red again and stomped her foot. She pointed the stick at him and practically shouted, "At least she was brave and strong!"

"She was also mad, she heard voices and dressed as a man," Jellal teased. "You would be much better off as Miss Scarlet than Sir Erza."

Erza lowered her stick with a scowl and grumbled, "But ladies can't eat cake when they want to."

Jellal chortled, "Excuse me? You want to be a knight because you want to eat cake!"

Erza rolled her eyes. "Not  _just_  because I want to eat cake, there are other reasons too." She started to turn back to the tree, but stopped just short and cried, "It just isn't fair. Laxus gets to eat all the cake he wants, but mother says I can only have it once a week because I must watch my figure and if I don't watch my figure no one will ever want me as a wife. Why would I want to be a wife if it means not getting to eat any cake?"

Jellal quietly pondered this for a moment. With sudden inspiration, he smiled and said, "My mother is a lady and she has small cakes every day with her tea." It wasn't exactly true but the fib was worth it for the large smile that brightened Erza's face.

"Really? Is it true? Some ladies  _can_  eat cake?"

Jellal had no clue about whether or not ladies were supposed to eat cake. He rarely had to opportunity to eat with one who wasn't his mother, but she clearly didn't know that so he shrugged and said, "Of course. I hear some even have it every day for breakfast." He supposed it could be true, ladies were a strange breed. It wasn't his fault that Erza was gullible enough to believe what a twelve year old boy said about the behavior of ladies.

Erza's eyes went wide and she whispered, "Cake for breakfast, could there be such a thing?" As if she couldn't even fathom such a wonderful thing. Then, all amazement disappeared, replaced with a pensive furrow to her brow. "All the same, I should practice. You might be just funning me."

Jellal grinned, this little girl wasn't the least bit ladylike but she was certainly industrious. "Alright Miss Scarlet, I won't keep you from it." He started to turn his horse towards the house but curiosity stopped him. "One more thing, before I go. . . ."

"Yes?" she said in a polite tone, though she fidgeted with the stick at her side, giving away her impatience.

"Who is your mother to Lord Dreyar?"

"Why, his wife of course," Erza replied.

Jellal said "Oh," because he didn't know what else to say. He had heard Lord Dreyar had taken a new wife, and he was aware that the woman was a widow, but no one had said a thing about a new daughter. It seemed like a strange thing to omit. Either way, he didn't have time to waste chatting with a silly little girl, no matter how diverting she was. He had a horse to boast about. So, he gave her a nod and said, "Good bye then."

"Wait," she called when he started to trot away. He halted the horse with a sigh and looked at her expectantly. She hesitated for second, opening and closing her mouth like a minnow. Finally, when his patience was about at its limit, she firmly set her jaw and said, "You never told me your name."

If you asked him now what had possessed him to give her the wrong name, he would not be able to tell you. Maybe it was just the kind of thing twelve year olds did to tease eight year old little girls, maybe after getting away with the fib about the cakes he wanted to see how far he could go, or maybe it was that he still had a little boy inside of him who wanted to play pretend with Miss Scarlet the knight in training; for instead of saying Jellal, he told her "Siegrain" then galloped off towards her stepfather's house.

Unfortunately for Jellal, he was not able to put Laxus in his place, because when he arrived at the main house not only did Laxus have a pony and cart, but a gorgeous blood horse with a coat black as night.


	3. Chance Encounter

About a week after Lady Polyursica's party, while heading to a tavern for a bite to eat, Jellal and Erik ran into Milliana, literally, just as she was coming out of a store. She hopped back with a gasp and clutched her purchase with her eyes downcast. Then, with an awkward partial bow, she attempted to back away, mumbling "Sorry sir, I wasn't looking. . ."

"Millianna?" Jellal asked.

Millianna's eyes snapped to Jellal's face and all signs of discomposure disappeared. "It's you!" She declared, waving a finger in his face. "I take it back. I am not the least bit sorry to you, sir."

She was probably disappointed that this only made Jellal grin and tease, "Now, Millianna, that's not very nice. What did I ever do to deserve such treatment?"

Millianna's scowl deepened. "You made a fool of Miss Belserion, kissing her hand like some cock-sure rake in front of her mother and her fiance and the entirety of London! She's been locked in her quarters all week and the countess says no fencing for an entire month!"

"She still fences?" Jellal more said than asked. If she liked it as much as he remembered, then having it taken away must have pained her dearly. He struggled to maintain an unaffected smile, but he was sure his face had paled at the realization that he caused her such trouble. It had just been a simple kiss to the hand, it had never occurred to him that her mother would punish her so severely for it.

Millianna didn't notice his change in disposition, or if she did, she didn't care. "Yes, she fences! Of course she does! My lady is not like those other ladies, painting portraits or sewing samplers. She's strong and she moves good too, elegant and strong like a cat. And I'll have you know that no fencing for the lady means no fencing for Kagura and she's livid. It's made for some  _very_  uncomfortable evenings downstairs, thank you very much sir."

Jellal grimaced, making Kagura angry was definitely a step in the wrong direction. Not that Erza's lady's maid had ever had any sort of fondness towards him, but he was trying to ease her hatred not stoke it. Time and time again she had prevented him from being alone with her mistress, which was something he desperately wanted to change.

Erik chuckled, "Tell me lass, does your lady keep a sword in her dress then?"

Millianna wrinkled her nose. "Don't be ridiculous! She keeps it under her seat in her carriage."

Erik leaned towards Jellal with a raised brow. "Do you hear that Mr. Fernandez? The lady keeps a sabre under her carriage bench." Jellal could read the underlying message of "see, you're in love with a mad woman" but he only acknowledged it with a slight raise to his brow.

"That's right she does," Millianna said proudly, completely missing the implication of Erik's words. "She'd do just fine on her own, even without a  _male_  for protection." She brazenly looked over Jellal then twisted her face as if she found him lacking.

Jellal decided to ignore her impudence. He looked down at the bags in Millianna's hands and had sudden inspiration that they might provide him with a way to see Erza, even if it was from a distance. "What have you got there? Do you need any help Millianna?"

Millianna scowled and hugged the bags closer. "I am fully capable of doing my job, sir, and even if I couldn't, I wouldn't take help from the likes of you. The countess would not want you soiling her beauty products."

Erik smirked and pulled at the opening of the bag in an attempt to look in. "Beauty products? What exactly do you have in there? Virgin's blood? Perhaps the powdered laughter of children?"

Millianna snatched the bag away. "It's none of your business  _sir._ Now, if you'll excuse me gentlemen." She started to leave then at the last moment seemed to finally remember her place and gave a small curtsey. She hurried away in what Jellal was pretty sure was the wrong direction.

"Quite a mouth on that one," Erik said with a hint of amusement.

"It's pretty serendipitous to run into Erza's maid here of all places," Jellal said, thinking of how he had been pining for Erza so acutely all week. If only it had been her coming out of the store.

Erik rolled his eyes, "At this point I'm convinced a thief stabbing you in the street would make you believe the you and the lady were meant to be."

Jellal sighed. "I don't know that I appreciate your tone."

"And I don't know that I appreciate you delaying my filling my stomach," Erik retorted. He began walking away without bothering to make sure Jellal followed after.

Jellal took a moment to compose himself. He felt all wound up; excited to see Millianna, disappointed it was only Millianna, thinking about Erza trapped in her room, wishing he had a way to go see her in her room. He looked up at Erik's retreating back and a small child with ginger colored hair passed by him with her mother. His first thought was that it was a sign that he must go call on her, societal norms be damned. He hurried up to let Erik know but just as he opened his mouth, the memory of Erik's teasing returned and he slammed it shut.

Erik grinned at him, "I bet you saw the little girl, didn't you? Yer thinkin' we should be heading over to the succubus den as if frightening her maid was a good way to get your foot in the door."

Jellal rolled his eyes and jammed his hands into his pockets, "I did not frighten her."

Erik snorted, "You offered to carry her bags as if she were some kind of lady."

"Lady or not, she's still a woman and she was carrying quite a bit," Jellal tried defending himself.

"It takes a lot of infant hearts to stay that young lookin' for that long. I'm sure the lass is making trips down this way multiple times a week. You need'nt of troubled yerself," Erik grumbled. Jellal didn't respond, he didn't even hear the jibe. Instead, he stared forward, deep in melancholy over his inability to follow after the fleeing maid.

Erik left Jellal to his misery, probably glad to have a break from discussion of the subject. If he had been paying attention to Jellal instead of watching the people ahead of them in the street, he would have noticed the growing smile. Millianna's little slip of information gave Jellal a bit of hope. Not only did Erza still fence, but she regarded the hobby as something precious to her, so precious that her mother thought taking it away from her a fitting punishment. He liked to think that Erza's unfeminine hobby had at least a little bit to do with him, since he was the one to teach her the sport in the first place.

The few weeks after first making acquaintance, Jellal only saw Erza's red hair in the distance while making his way over to visit with Laxus. She was always doing something unladylike; climbing a tree, wading in the creek, battling a bush, all while under the supervision of her stepfather's hound. He found her extremely amusing but being a boy of twelve he was much more interested in the company of another boy his age, so he let her be.

Then, suddenly, Laxus was sent away to his grandfather's after destroying his step-mother's favorite painting and Jellal found himself without a playmate. It only took three days of rereading his favorite book, exploring the woods behind his house, and throwing rocks at squirrels before Jellal found himself wandering over to Lord Dreyar's fields to seek out the little spitfire.

He watched her for a while as she struggled to catch a frog. Her fearlessness when it came to creatures and dirt made him think that maybe playing with a little girl might not be so terrible. Deciding she was worth his time, he stepped out from behind the trees and said, "Those pants still don't fit you Miss Scarlet."

She snapped her head up and her quarry escaped with a plop, right into the deep end of the pond. The loud splash made her face redden and his smile widen, she really had an adorable scowl. He was so distracted by the thought that he wasn't prepared for when she splashed him and shouted, "I almost had that frog!"

Jellal wiped his face and snorted, "You did not."

Erza crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I'll have you know that I'm an excellent hunter. I'm like an Amazon, I could survive in the wild if I wanted to."

This comment made Jellal extremely pleased that he had sought her out and also made him wonder what kinds of books Lord Dreyar had on his shelves. He wanted to make her say more amusing things so he cocked his head, and asked "Is that so?" with the hopes that she would take the bait.

He knew he had her when she jerked up her chin and said, "You should be careful, I can be dangerous when I want to be."

"Would you even know what to do with that if you caught it Miss Scarlet?" he challenged.

"No," Erza reluctantly admitted. "But it cannot be that hard. I could learn if I had to." On hearing this Jellal let out an incredulous guffaw, so she snapped, "Have you ever cooked something you caught?"

Jellal stopped his laughter, "Of course not, I have the help for that."

Erza smiled, believing she had him. "Aha! But you wouldn't have a cook if you were surviving in the wild!"

"Hmm . . . that's right, I wouldn't. But it's a moot point if we can't get our hands on the animals to begin with." He began rolling up his sleeves as he sauntered closer. "Let me show you a thing or two about catching frogs." By the end of the day, they had caught one frog between the two of them, were soaked from head to toe, and had developed an unmistakable bond. It had been hard for Jellal to convince himself to head home for supper.

He didn't discover her again until a few days later when he found her, yet again, attacking a tree. This led to a lengthy argument about proper form and eventually Jellal teaching Erza all the fencing he knew with a set of long, slender sticks. It was exciting to find that she was actually quite quick on her feet. It didn't take long for him to switch from going easy on her to having to work hard to stay ahead.

Despite her sex and the large age difference, Erza proved herself to be a much better playmate than Laxus. She had an excellent imagination, even if her performance of her characters was over dramatic and somewhat stiff, and her sense of adventure had them exploring the whole of the countryside. Their diversions provided him with a myriad of opportunities to teach her something new and her eagerness to learn made it all the more fun. That summer he wished nearly every day that his entertaining neighbor had been born male like him.

Now, the last thing he wished for was her to change. He liked her just the way she was, fierce, beautiful, and intelligent. He missed seeing her nose wrinkled with frustration when she didn't get something on the first try. He missed the way she would call him out when he pretended to be an expert on things he wasn't. He missed seeing her smile. He wondered if her mother hadn't taken her away all those years ago, would the path his life had taken been different? Would he have tried to find a more noble way to make his stamp on the world?

Then Erik's voice cut through his ruminations. "Come on now Jellal! Yer lackadaisical pace is beginning to grate on my nerves. Would ya hurry it up?"

Jellal looked up and grinned his apology. "Yes, yes. Sorry, I don't know where my head's at." He lengthened his stride to catch his cousin.

Erik just rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I know where it is, but I'm not interested in hearing about it."


	4. An Unexpected Visitor

Laxus took a long pull on his cigar. He looked exhausted, as if he had aged five years instead of the six months it had been since Jellal saw him last. Jellal smirked when he noticed Laxus was not only smoking at eleven o'clock in the morning but he also had a half-finished scotch on the table next to him. "Starting the evening's tipple a little early today, are we?"

Laxus looked up at Jellal with a furrow of his brow. "When you deal with the shit I deal with it's never too early," he grumbled. He motioned for them to sit as he took another long inhale of smoke. He blew it out slowly. "If I had had the chance, I would have told you to just pass on by, but I suppose that's the nature of the devil. You can never plan for her visit."

Jellal cut his eyes to Erik as he took a seat. Erik shrugged. Jellal looked back at Laxus and asked, "The devil?"

Laxus sighed and rubbed his face. "Mother dearest has decided to come calling and the old man is too polite to send her on her way. You should go tell your man not to unpack your things, she's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Laxus' words made Jellal so excited he was struck dumb. Luckily for him, Erik clarified, "You mean the Countess Belserion is here? Now?"

Laxus grunted in response. He slumped back in his chair. "She's driving me mad. She has all the servants stirred up, redecorating the dining room and moving around the furniture in the parlor, as if this is her damn house! I at least had the foresight to have Freed hide the good wine and jewels. Grandfather might say she's family, but I say she's nothing more than a snake in lady's petticoats."

"Does she stay here often?" Erik asked.

"Gods no, it was going on four years since I saw her last." Laxus sighed and lifted his scotch. "Would have been nice to make it to five."

Erik glanced at Jellal out of the corner of his eye and Jellal studiously ignored him. He smirked and asked, "Then why now?"

Laxus pulled a face."Apparently, Erza's betrothed has been outed as some kind of charlatan so now the countess has her eyes on some distant cousin of royalty in some country I don't care about. Apparently her home is not well equipped enough to entertain such a man. So I asked her if he's so important, what's he doing courting some untitled hoyden with only a moderate income?"

"You didn't turn to stone after using such language in front of the lady?" Erik joked.

Laxus gave a lopsided grin, "It didn't go over too well with the countess and Miss Strauss looked ready to have my head, but I'm pretty sure Erza would have agreed with me if she wasn't so damn busy sighing and moping."

Jellal prayed Erik would ask about the moping but instead he said, "So Miss Strauss is here as well? Usually she's long gone to her brother's by now."

Laxus took a sip of scotch with a scowl, "Damn right she's here, as soon as word came that the countess was coming I told Mira she wasn't going anywhere. No way I'm playing host to that hell-spawn and grandfather just doesn't have the stamina he used to." When Jellal raised a brow, Laxus spat, "After all grandfather has done for her and her kin she can do him this little favor. It isn't my fault her brother is an idiot who can't manage on his own."

Erik leaned forward in his seat, "Well I suppose we should be go. . ." He was stopped from offering his apologies by a sharp slap elbow from Jellal.

Jellal ignored Erik's dirty look and smiled at Laxus. "We won't leave you in your time of need! We'll stay and then her visit will be more palatable. What is it they say? Strength in numbers, right?"

Laxus eyed Jellal suspiciously and puffed out a long pillar of smoke. "That's unusually generous of you."

Jellal feigned insult. "Oh come now, I've been generous before, haven't I? As I recall, I gave you an opportunity for investment that paid quite nicely for you."

Laxus gave another lopsided grin. "You say that as if my investment wasn't a lifeline for you."

Jellal smiled back. "I suppose that isn't the best possible example, but I did think of you first."

Laxus grinned wider, "I'm sure the rest of the country was just lining up behind me."

Jellal cleared his throat and became very interested in the tassels on the arm of the sofa. "Now why is Miss. Belserion moping? Did something happen?" He was met with silence. After a few torturous seconds he ventured a glance at Erik. 'You're an idiot' was written all over his cousin's face. He looked over at Laxus and realized he had shown his cards.

Laxus stared back, the cogs in his head turning slowly as he took another long drag on his cigar. He set the cigar down and smiled as he released three perfect rings. "Don't tell me you've fallen for the chit."

Jellal swallowed then made a split second decision that trying to hide anything from Laxus would be futile. "And if I have?" he challenged with a subtle lift to his chin.

Laxus sipped his drink. "I mean I'm not gonna tell a man what he should and should not like, but you do realize Erza isn't exactly soft. Sure, she's excellent on a hunt, and she plays a good game of chess, but at the end of the day that's not what you want warming your bed. Not to mention being married to her means being connected that mother of hers for the rest of your foreseeable future since you know she's going to outlive us all."

Erik nodded, "She and Erza are basically like twins, it's gotta be some kind of black magic."

Jellal waved them off, "She was a young mother, she's still in her prime. If anything it shows that Erza will age quite well."

Laxus' eyes went wide before he doubled over in a laugh that quickly changed to a cough. "He's absolutely smitten, when the hell did that happen?" Then he lifted his head with a grin of sudden comprehension. He pointed at Jellal, "Oh this is too good, you're the rake! Aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" Jellal looked to Erik for help, but only found laughter at his expense.

Laxus sat forward. "Ever since they got here all of their staff has been in a titter about some idiot throwing himself all over Erza during a dance. Tell me it was you, that would just make my year if that was you."

"I did not throw myself all over her, I simply kissed her hand. It was hardly scandalous," Jellal declared in an attempt to clear his name.

This caused Laxus to throw his head back and laugh louder than Jellal thought possible, he was sure the books on the shelves of the study shook. "Now you have to stay. . .you have to. . . Just so I can see the look on that woman's face when you walk into dinner," he spat out between guffaws.

Erik grinned, "Might make the lady reconsider staying."

Laxus looked up thoughtfully and took a sip of his drink. "If only it was that easy."

Jellal stood, "As much as I enjoy being the butt of your mirth, I'm going to head to my room. I would like to be free of the dirt of the road and get some rest before dinner."

Laxus nodded his head. "Need to smell like a daisy for your beloved, huh? Yeah, get some rest, you'll need to be prepared before you face the dragon."

Erik turned to look up at Jellal. "Should I have Richard prepare your armor?"

Jellal glared at Erik. "Oh come now, you're acting like a couple of ninnies."

Laxus lifted his glass, "I do have an excuse." He looked over Jellal's shoulder, "Have you prepared the usual room for Mr. Fernandes?"

Jellal spun around and found Freed standing in the doorway. Laxus' man bowed, "Yes sir, he's in the blue room."

Jellal didn't know what to think of the way Laxus grinned and said, "Perfect."

"Is Richard already there?" Jellal asked Freed.

"Yes Sir," Freed answered.

"Then I shall head on my way." He looked at Laxus, "Try not to get too drunk before dinner."

Laxus ignored him and turned to Erik, "Can I have Freed get you a glass as well?"

Erik settled back into the couch. "Yes, thank you."

Jellal made a sound of exasperation and headed for the door. Behind him he heard Laxus say, "This is turning into a surprisingly good day." Jellal grit his teeth and headed into the hall, ignoring whatever snide remark Erik had in response.

He knew if Erik had his way they would be heading directly up to Kardia at first light. It had been a long time since they were home, but he hoped Erik would grant him at least a few days. The only reason they had left London in the first place was because Jellal had gone against Erik's counsel and attempted to call on Erza at her mother's town-home. He ran into Wally closing up the house and learned that the countess had taken all of the household to their country residence.

At the time he had despaired greatly, the countess's modest country manor was nowhere near Kardia. While it was difficult to find a reason to visit Erza in the city, it was impossible to see her in the country. For her mother to come here, it had to be fate. After Laxus' father passed away, there was no love lost between the Countess Belserion and the Dreyar's. Lord Dreyar's will had provided for a comfortable living for her, but all the lands, heirlooms, and most of the fortune had gone to his son. She had been so offended, that she had packed up a twelve year old Erza, a few of her favorite servants, and most of Lord Dreyar's art collection, and then disappeared to her family in France. He really thought he would never see either of the Belserions again.

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, that he almost missed the door opening across the hall from his own, but a familiar voice exclaimed, "Seig. . .I mean Mr. Fernandes?!"

Jellal spun on his heel and found himself face to face with Erza. She wore a plain gingham print and her hair was pulled away from her face in a simple fashion but he thought she looked far lovelier this way than she did in the fancy dresses and up-dos she wore for dances and dinners. Her scarlet hair shone like silk, he wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Instead of touching it like he longed to, he bowed slightly and greeted, "Good Morning Miss Belserion, it is lovely to see you again."

She did not return the sentiment, instead she studied him as if she thought he was a figment of her imagination. "I don't understand. Why are you here?"

Jellal smiled softly, "We always stop here on our way home to Kardia."

"Kardia? So you do still have the house?" He nodded, and she smiled. "I wish mother would let us visit Alexei. Laxus rarely uses it and told me if I wanted to go all I needed to do is ask, but mother says if we were meant to be there Lord Dreyar would have left it to us out right." She turned bright red and looked at her feet, "I don't know why I just told you that."

Jellal chuckled, "It's always easiest to reminisce with those who were part of our past."

She looked up at him and her eyes were drawn to the scar on his face, her skin brightened again and she looked at the floor. Jellal found himself wanting to cover his cheek with his hand, the stark reminder of what living too fast and trusting the wrong people could get you. He wondered if she found it ugly or grotesque, this was not the first time he had caught her staring at it. Suddenly, he wasn't so confident that getting her alone would get him any closer to the intimacy he craved. She cleared her throat, "Mother is expecting me for lunch. So, if you'll excuse me."

"Yes, of course, I won't keep you," he said with a smile. He watched her leave and it was hard not to sag against the wall in despair. He was much more clever than that. Why would he say something as stupid as 'it's easy to reminisce with those of the past?' That was basically the definition of the word! He should have said something about how lovely she looked or how he looked forward to spending time with her or invited her out for a ride. Now he was stuck twiddling his thumbs in the hallway like an oaf!

She finally disappeared down the stairwell and he let himself groan and pull at his hair. He would do better next time. She had surprised him, that had to be the reason for his unresponsive tongue. He started to turn for his room when a face in the doorway of her room caught his eye. Kagura stood there staring knives at him. He gave her a slight wave and she pointed two fingers at her eyes and then at him before slowly closing the door. He shuddered and stepped into his room, happy to have two doors between them. He had forgotten the prickly maid.

He fell back on his bed with a sigh and ran his hand down the scar on his face. It had been so long, he couldn't remember what it was like when the skin wasn't raised and red above and below his eye. The symbol itself, a large version of a competitor's seal, was pleasing to the eye but it had stopped being beautiful to him when it was burned into his skin. Remembering the pain of hot iron on his flesh, he shuddered and pulled his hand away. He was lucky he hadn't lost the eye, and he was determined to never put himself in that kind of position again.

"Your bath is ready sir," Richard called from the dressing room.

Jellal stood and dragged himself over to his valet to allow the man to help him out of his traveling clothes. "Was that Miss Erza in the hall sir?" Richard asked as he removed Jellal's jacket.

"Yes," Jellal answered quietly.

"How delightful! I know you'll find a way sir. Nothing will stand in the way of your love now that we are here at Magnolia!" Richard declared.

Jellal laughed, "I wish I had your confidence Richard. I'm not so sure I can succeed."

"Well, I'm rooting for you sir, as is my brother. He says Miss Erza has been a caged bird for too long with that mother of hers and you are just the sort of man to allow her the freedom to fly. He was very pleased that Lord Groh was called on his mischief, he was not the man to make Miss Erza happy."

"I was very pleased as well," Jellal said as he slipped into the hot water. Richard's excitement and the warmth of the bath helped ease his nerves. Of course Erza wouldn't be repulsed by his scar, she had accepted his name on her dance card more than he could count, and she wasn't the type to be so shallow. He hoped that this time they would finally get more than a dance or a conversation across a crowded table. He hoped she was just as infatuated with him as he was with her.


	5. Battle Wounds

When Jellal came home from school at the age of thirteen, the first thing he did was seek out his redheaded little friend. This time he did not find her fighting trees or chasing frogs, instead he found her dressed in appropriate attire, sitting quietly by the pond with a melancholy expression on her face. He approached her slowly, unsure of how to handle this side of Erza that he had not seen before. The entire previous summer he hadn't seen her cry once, even when she fell. The Erza he knew was happy or mad, sometimes proud or embarrassed, but never sad.

"No pants today Miss. Scarlet?" he attempted to tease. She turned to him and her face opened up with happy surprise. Some of the darkness in her eyes disappeared at the sight of him, but he could now see the streaks of tears down her cheeks and it made his young heart squeeze.

"Why are you crying?" he asked with a hesitant step closer.

Erza wiped her face roughly and ignored his question. "You're back! I thought you wouldn't be back!"

"Of course I'm back, this is my home," Jellal said. He noticed she winced when she pulled to her feet.

When she looked at him again, her happy expression was replaced with wariness. "Is this really your home? I asked and not even the servants have heard of you."

"Is that so?" Jellal asked. He had almost forgotten his little game, now he found himself unsure of what to say. "What if I told you I wasn't  _actually_  Siegrain?"

"You mean . . .you've been lying this entire time?" she asked, her eyes growing wide and dewy. Her shocked betrayal stung. It had never occurred to him that his little fib might hurt her feelings, he was only playing pretend with the girl next door. She started to step away from him, eying her surroundings like an animal cornered. Her lip quivered when she said, "I don't understand. Why? Why would you do that?"

Jellal realized he was going to make her cry again and that was the last thing he wanted. Worried that admitting he was a charlatan might ruin his entire summer, he laughed nervously and backtracked, "No I didn't . . . I was just teasing is all. Of course I'm Seigrain."

He was relieved when all sadness disappeared and was replaced with white, hot rage. "That isn't funny! How could you joke like that?!

He gave her an apologetic grin, "You looked like you needed cheering up."

"That's a completely ridiculous way to cheer someone up!" She pouted and crossed her arms. She looked away. "You scared me."

"No way I really scared you, you're the great Miss Scarlet, adventurer, knight, actress extraordinaire!"

She smiled, "I suppose you're right. Maybe scared isn't really the right word? But you did worry me. I don't like being lied to. My grandfather always said true friends don't lie and it had been so long. . ." She paused and for a moment he worried she might cry again but then she squared her shoulders and looked up at him with a smile that seemed a little more forced. "So you do live nearby then?"

"Yes," Jellal said, happy to be back at the truth.

"What does your father do?" she asked.

Jellal looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "He's a merchant." Which was a half-truth, his father was a merchant once. Now, to appease his in-laws, he was simply a landed gentleman.

"Really! What does he trade in?" Erza exclaimed. Jellal looked at her with a wrinkle to his nose. It seemed strange that she would be so excited about something as simple as a merchant.

"Oh you know, this and that," he answered.

"How exciting!" Erza declared. She started hopping across the rocks the jutted out of the earth along the edge of the water. "I imagine you have boxes from all over the world! Do you have a general store? Does your father sell sweets? Does he sell ribbons?"

Jellal didn't know how to reply to this. It was one thing to continue lying about his name but quite another to give himself another life. Erza looked back at him, confused by his lack of response, and her footing slipped. Jellal reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her and was surprised when she winced and breathed in sharply. He jerked his hand away, confused that his formerly tough friend was acting so delicate. "Sorry, did I grab you too tightly? You were going to fall. . ."

She forced a smile. "No, no, it's fine. It wasn't too tight," but Jellal didn't believe her because her words were clipped and she still cradled the arm he had touched.

"Let me see it," Jellal commanded.

Erza whipped away from him with a cry of "no!" and Jellal knew something was wrong. He pulled her arm to him and lifted the sleeve. Large welts striped her forearm. When he had saved her from falling, his tight grip had cracked one of the scabs and now blood began to seep from the opening. They were ghastly, imagining the kind of lashing that would cause such marks made him sick.

"Who did this?" he hissed.

"It was my fault, I stole sugared plums from the kitchen when I shouldn't have," Erza cried, pulling from his grasp.

"This is too much! Did Miss Kamika do this? Does your mother know?!" he growled.

Even though his anger was directed at Miss Kamika and not at her, it was clear that something in his tone scared her. The fear in her eyes made him wish for the first time that his voice still hadn't fully changed. Maybe if he still sounded like a child, he wouldn't have frightened her so. "Mother doesn't need to know. Really, it was my fault. I should be going, I shouldn't be out here. I'm not supposed to leave the nursery," she mumbled. Then she turned to try to sprint towards the house.

Jellal stopped her by rushing in front of her and gently catching her by the shoulders. "Miss Scarlet, your mother needs to know."

Just like that she was crying again. She sniffled, "Miss Kamika says mother doesn't care . . .Miss Kamika says mother would be just as mad about the plums . . .Miss Kamika said she would hit me twice as hard if I told mother."

Remembering her fear, Jellal took a moment to calm himself by closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Erza rested a hand on his arm and to his amazement she began to try and comfort  _him_. "Siegrain, I promise, it wasn't so bad. I can take it. I'm tough, remember?"

Jellal looked at her arm. The sleeve was still pushed back and the wounds made him grimace. "Erza, your mother would not like this. Girls are not supposed to receive lashings like this. You might scar! It's not as if you set fire to the curtains or something, you took a few sugared plums!"

"Set fire to the curtains?! Who would do such a thing?!"

Jellal left off on telling her her step brother had done that very thing just a few years prior and instead commanded, "Erza, you have to tell your mother."

Erza pouted and looked at her feet. "I don't want to tell my mother. Mother isn't nice." Before he could tell her that didn't matter, she added, "She said you were imaginary. That the only other little boy in the area is named Jellal and that he wouldn't waste time on a little girl's nonsense."

The idea that the Countess would presume to know anything about him made him chuckle. "Well then I will go with you now and we will show her that I am real and you can show her your arm."

He started to turn towards her home and Erza pulled him back. "No! Don't!"

"Erza, you need to tell her," Jellal repeated.

"No, it's not that." Erza sighed. "Mother said that if you  _were_  real I would be in big trouble. I'm not allowed to be spending my days alone with a strange boy in the countryside. She said if she found out I was, I would be sent to my grandmother's. I don't want to go there, it's dark and smells and all grandmother ever does is tell me I'm fidgeting too much."

Jellal sighed. He was relieved to know that his fib about his name could stay secret, but he hated that his time with her put her in danger of going somewhere she so disliked. He grinned, hoping to soothe her nerves. "Well, we can't have that now, can we? I suppose it's okay if we keep our time together a secret."

Erza smiled and bounced. "Yes! Thank you! We could be like spies and send coded messages!"

He was happy to see that she had kept her wild imagination, however impractical it might be. Jellal playfully rolled his eyes."Or we could just meet outside when the adults aren't around and be careful."

"Okay, if you insist." Then she took his hand and started to pull. "Come with me to the other side of the pond. I think there is a nest there."

Jellal worried she had already forgotten his request. He remained firmly in place and said,"Miss Scarlet, you still have to tell your mother about your arm."

She let him go and stomped her foot. "But I don't want to!"

Jellal wished there was something he could do himself, but he knew that Lord Dreyar would just laugh at him and the Countess would never tolerate his presence, much less listen to him. He wished Laxus could be counted on protect his new younger sister but he knew that would be expecting more than his ruffian friend was currently capable of. Erza had to do this herself. "What if I promised you sweets if you did?"

"Sweets?!" Erza got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Would you bring them next time you saw me? How would you know that I told her?"

"I would know," Jellal assured her. He was sure that as soon as her mother heard, Kamika would be packing her bags, but he didn't tell Erza that. Instead he said, "and I trust you. After all, Miss Scarlet  _is_  an honorable knight."

She smiled a wide toothy smile. "That I am!" Then she tilted her head and eyed him in a calculating way. "Exactly what _kind_ of sweets?"

"Whatever you like," Jellal promised, hoping he could deliver.

Erza's eyes went wide, "Anything?!"

"Anything."

Erza tapped her lip thoughtfully with an expression that was comically too serious for her little face. "I suppose I could just show her after dinner tonight, when I give her a kiss goodnight," Erza said slowly.

Jellal hoped she would follow through, he never wanted to see her injured like that again, but he realized there was nothing more he could do. He would just have to wait and see. "Very good. Now, since that business is settled, let's see that nest of yours."

"Yes! Follow me!"Erza skipped ahead of him with a giggle. Seeing the happiness return to her step made Jellal smile, that was the Erza he remembered, but his amusement disappeared when she turned to him and asked, " _Do_  you know Jellal?"

Jellal's step faltered. "Excuse me?"

"Jellal? The boy who lives on the other side of that hill? Do you know him? I've never met him, I'm not allowed to spend time with any acquaintances of Laxus. Mother says they would be a bad influence." Erza wrinkled her nose. "Whenever any of them are around I get locked in the nursery, it isn't fair."

Jellal grinned. Her mother was right, he was a terrible influence on the little Miss Belserion. The entirety of the previous summer he had done nothing but teach Erza how  _not_  to be a lady. "I guess you could say we're acquainted. In fact, I'm told we look a good deal alike."

* * *

It didn't take long for Jellal to see the results of his meddling. The very next week he came to call on Laxus and the first thing his friend wanted to do was point out the cleavage of the new governess, Juliet. She wore almost scandalously low dresses and seemed eager to draw attention to it no matter what the age of the gentlemen she was around. She wasn't perfect but Jellal was sure she would be gentler and all the better if her flirting made her more inattentive than Erza's previous governess.

His mother was extremely displeased to find some of her favorite sweetmeats missing, but Erza's wide smile when she received them made it all worth while.


	6. The Dinner Guest

The door to Jellal's room flew open and was immediately slammed shut by a panting Erik. "You have got to be the craziest man on Earth. I thought the mother was bad but the maid is easily worse. It's as if she can see into my very soul with those spiteful eyes of hers."

Jellal chuckled as Richard straightened his tie and dusted his shoulder one last time. "Maybe you should think twice next time you're tempted to go toe to toe with Dreyar on drinks. You're absolutely foxed."

"I had ta do something since yer trappin' me in this miserable situation." Erik pushed away from the door and held up his thumb and pointer. "I was this close ta seeing my Kinana and you had to go and ruin it to hunt after your doe. You're mad Jellal, mad. Ya keep dismissin' the ladies around her like 'don't mind the tigresses circling, they look fierce but I'm sure they don't bite.' Yer gonna end up mauled." He tipped forward into Jellal's face and reiterated, "Mauled!"

Jellal laughed and pushed his cousin back flat on his feet. "I do apologize about Kinana, I know you miss her, but we  _always_  stay here a few days. You've never minded it before. It won't be so bad, the Countess has no issue with you, only me. And I'm sure dinner will be excellent, Miss Strauss always makes sure they serve the best." Jellal pushed past his cousin and opened the door to the hallway.

Erik followed with a scowl. "We could have been comfortable at home by now but you had to chase a taken woman like some drunken sailor steering towards a siren. And I'm telling ya, it wouldn't matter if it was the finest goose in England, with that woman glaring at me it will taste like sawdust."

Jellal stepped into the hall and adjusted his jacket. "She's not taken now," he murmured.

After making sure the hall was empty, Erik followed after him. "Doesna do ya a bit of good if she doesna want to elope," Erik slurred, then he hurried towards the stairs. Jellal dragged behind, disappointed that Erza's door remained shut. He wondered if she had already made her way downstairs.

"Mr. Kobura! Mr. Fernandes! I'm so happy to see you!" came Miss Strauss' cheerful call. Duke Dreyar's ward floated towards them from the other direction, looking bright and elegant as usual.

Jellal grinned as he met her at the top of the stairs. "As I am you, Miss Strauss. I swear when you aren't here Lord Dreyar believes that stale bread is a suitable dinner." He held out an arm to help her down the stairs.

Miss Strauss made a tsking sound. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him. Every time I leave, it seems that not even Freed can convince Lord Dreyar to eat any dinner. One of the best kitchen staffs in the country and the man desires to live off of eggs and brandy."

"And your brother Miss Strauss? Is he well?" Jellal inquired.

A hint of worry entered her eyes. "He is doing very well, thank you. I shouldn't have let him go on ahead, I didn't realize I would be detained so long. I did send him a letter, I hope it has arrived by now." She smiled but it seemed hollow. "He's fine of course, after all he  _i_ _s_  a grown man."

"You don't always have to do what Lord Dreyar says you know," Jellal advised quietly.

Miss Strauss looked at him as if he had grown another head. She giggled, though the sound seemed forced. "You say the silliest things sometimes Mr. Fernandes. Refuse Lord Dreyar, what a strange idea."

Jellal restrained a frown. Sometimes it seemed like his friend treated Miss Strauss more like a servant than a lady in his grandfather's care, but the subject seemed to cause her distress so instead he asked, "How was your trip here? No bumps in the road I hope."

Miss Strauss rewarded him with a genuine smile, "Oh no, we had lovely weather. The first few days here were sunny as well but then, of course, just as I was set to leave, that storm blew in."

"Have you been having issues with the Countess?" Jellal asked.

Miss Strauss frowned, "Just between us, she's so dreadfully rude to me. It seems everything I do offends the woman. I can usually count on Miss Belserion to make our time together less awkward but she's been so quiet this trip, lunch was dreadful." Miss Strauss leaned into him and whispered, "Also I am  _so_ sorry that Lord Dreyar has learned of your infatuation with her. I promise you, I didn't tell him a thing."

Erik snickered beside her. "That wasn't your fault lass. Mr Fernandes did that to himself."

Miss Strauss' eyes went bright and Jellal sighed, already annoyed at the coming tease. "Why in the world would you do such a thing? Were you trying to ask Dreyar for permission for the lady's hand?" She winked, "He would probably try to give her to you just out of spite."

"Unfortunately, it isn't really his call," Jellal half joked, half lamented.

Miss Strauss pouted. "Yes, it is too bad that Miss Belserion isn't  _actually_  a Dreyar. If she was, the Duke could step in and help you. He's always had such a soft spot for you."

Jellal chuckled, "That would only be of use to me if the lady desired my hand as well." Mira gave a knowing smile and Jellal's eyes went wide."You know something!? I know you do, I can tell by that twinkle in your eye."

Miss Strauss fluttered her lashes. "A lady never tells another lady's secrets," she teased and Erik laughed so hard he almost fell down the last few stairs.

Jellal narrowed his eyes. "You are not fair Miss Strauss."

Miss Strauss removed her hand from his arm and turned to him at the base of the stairs. "I cannot say anything for sure, but I do know that Miss Belserion blushes quite a bit when talk of a certain merchant comes around . . ." Miss Strauss trailed off with a smile.

Dashing Jellal's happy moment, Erik then asked, "What of the man her mother invited? Do ya ken what he's like?"

Miss Strauss clutched her hands at her heart. "Oh Count Neekis is absolutely fascinating, he's like a romantic hero out of a novel." She noticed Jellal's sudden scowl and laughed outright. "Oh Mr. Fernandes please forgive me! I had forgotten that you had set yourself up as his rival. Well, he  _is_  old enough to be my father and then some, so there's that. I hear his son is older than Miss Belserion by a few years."

Jellal laughed somewhat nervously. "Ah, so he's an old man? I bet he's all stiff joints and a bent back."

Miss Strauss just smiled and shook her head. She tapped Jellal with her fan. "You'll have to see for yourself, I believe Count Neekis is already in the front parlor. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go make sure the kitchen is ready to serve soon. Wouldn't want to make the Countess wait for her soup."

Jellal watched her leave with a furrowed brow. He couldn't decide if Miss Strauss was serious or not. Her time in the Dreyar household had made her just as strange and eccentric as her guardian, for a lady she was a dreadful tease. Determined not to let her get to him, he ignored Erik's cheeky grin and stormed towards the front parlor.

To his dismay, Jellal did not find someone old and stooped, but a very muscular man a few inches taller than himself with a face that was mature but barely wrinkled. His head was either shaved or bald, but the lack of hair somehow made him appear more distinguished. Worst of all, Erza stood with him and she was laughing in a genuine way that made it clear the Count was not only familiar but pleasant company as well.

Erik jammed an elbow in Jellal's ribcage, making him hiss, "What?"

Erik leaned over and whispered, "Might want to fix your face there, you look like someone just shot yer horse."

Jellal adjusted his jacket and did his best to relax the muscles in his face. "I don't know why I take you everywhere with me."

"Been wondering that myself lately," Erik said with a chuckle.

"Mr. Fernandes! Mr. Kobaru! Hello, hello!" called the Duke when he finally noticed Erik and Jellal in the doorway.

Erza darted her glance to him but quickly looked away when she caught Jellal's eye. Jellal tried to ignore the fact that such a simple thing made his heart race. He smiled wide at the Duke and went to shake the small man's hand. "Thank you so much for welcoming us into your home again your grace."

The Duke shook Jellal's hand frantically. "Oh you know you're always welcome. I like the way it livens things up in this old house of mine."

Laxus toasted Jellal with an empty glass and a sloppy grin. "And things are certainly going to get lively this time. Aren't they, Fernandes?"

"Absolutely not!" declared a voice from the hallway. Everyone in the room turned and Jellal was certain he heard Laxus chortle, when they all found Countess Belserion, pointing at Jellal with her eyes wide. "You cannot be here, this will not stand."

Jellal was relieved when the Duke didn't miss a beat. "Actually Madame this is  _my_  house and I believe it is  _my_  call who comes and goes, not yours. Mr. Fernandes happens to be a regular guest of ours and we expect him around this time every year. You would have been made aware of this fact had you given us a little more notice about your visit."

The Countess Belserion pursed her lips and stared at Jellal. He was pretty sure her right eye was beginning to twitch, but with the Duke on his side he could not lose, so he smiled confidently and made a bow. "I can assure you madame that I will be on my best behavior."

She made a sound of annoyance and turned away, grumbling, "A lot of good that does me." She went into the hall and they could hear her command, "Miss Strauss I hope you're ready. Dinner must start now."

"Yes Lady Belserion, they are ready," came Miss Strauss' voice.

Miss Strauss then appeared in the doorway with the butler, a tight smile plastered on her face. She nodded at the butler, who declared, "Dinner is served."

Everyone began filing out of the room. Jellal heard Laxus hiss at his grandfather, "When are you going to put that woman in her place. This is your house, it's disgusting. She's probably already seated at the table like she's the queen herself."

The Duke just smiled and held his arm out to Miss Strauss. "There's no harm in it. If there's anything I know about women, it's that once you react to their meddling they've won. You can't let them see you sweat."

Laxus scoffed,"What the hell are you going on about?! You don't know anything about women!"

Jellal didn't hear the Duke's retort because at that moment Erza passed by, smiled prettily, and said, "Good evening, Mr. Fernandes."

"Good evening Miss Belserion," he said with what he was sure was a dopey smile.

He was about to follow after her, when he was stopped by a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Fernandes, I believe we still need to be introduced."

Jellal watched in dismay as Erza took Laxus' arm and headed toward the dining room. He swallowed a sigh and turned slowly. Irritatingly, Count Neekis was even more intimidating up close. Jellal did his best to smile cordially and stuck out his hand. "Yes, Count Neeko was it?"

"Neekis," the Count corrected. His grip was so tight that Jellal found himself struggling not to reveal his discomfort.

"Ah yes, my apologies," Jellal said as he pulled back his hand, flexing it back to life. He motioned to Erik, "This is my cousin, Mr. Kobaru."

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Kobaru," Count Neekis said.

Erik shook the Count's hand and already being in cups as he was, he was unable to hide his pain. "Pleasure," he rasped with a wince.

Count Neekis smiled, put his hands behind his back, and rocked slightly on his heels. "I see you have displeased the Countess."

Jellal was not prepared for such a statement. He knew that he was a rival for Erza's attention, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to make the Count Neekis aware of that. Luckily he didn't have to say a thing, since his cousin drawled, "Ya ken anyone who hasn't?"

To Jellal's surprise this made the Count roar with laughter. For a moment he thought that maybe this meant they were somewhat of the same mind as far as the Countess was concerned. That is, until the Count said, "I swear that woman never changes. It's nice to know there are still some things you can count on in this world."

Suddenly the man's good-natured laughter put Jellal on edge. This man was not only aware of the Countess' sour temperament, he actually seemed to enjoy it! Count Neekis motioned towards the dining room. "Come, you must tell me about your trade in the East Indies. Such a fascinating place. Have you been there yourself or do you just send the ships?"

"We lived there a few years actually," Jellal reluctantly admitted as they slowly followed after the rest of the group.

The Count smiled, "Wonderful, wonderful."

"Have you been there yourself Count Neekis?" asked Erik.

"Yes, but it has been so long. It might as well have been another life," Count Neekis sighed.

"So you've traveled a good deal then?" Jellal asked, though he feared the answer.

"Yes, I have often served as a diplomat for King Willem. I've been all over from the Americas to Africa and China. I am now retired, thankfully, so I keep my travel to just the continent of Europe." The Count laughed, "These days I'm too old for those long trips at sea."

Jellal's head started to pound. How could he compete with a man who had seen so much of the world? Who had such connections? A man who Erza felt warmly towards, and even worse, the Countess knew and respected? A man who put men half his age to shame with his muscular physique? The fates never failed to laugh at Jellal's expense.

He had almost decided the whole thing was hopeless until he entered the dining room and found Erza's eyes seeking out himself instead of the fascinating man at his side. She smiled shyly and returned her eyes to her plate but she couldn't hide the new pink color staining her cheeks. He took his seat across from Miss Strauss with a grin from ear to ear. None of the Count's accomplishments would mean a thing if the lady did not prefer him.

Erik sat on his other side and leaned towards him. He cocked his head towards the Countess and whispered, "Mauled." It was then that Jellal noticed the woman was watching him as if plotting his demise.


	7. Heart Failure

The death of Lord Ivan Dreyar came as a surprise to everyone who knew him. At the time he had appeared robust and healthy, and boasted to being stronger than any man half his age. Unfortunately, he wasn't, his arteries were clogged with years of abuse, so in the middle of shouting his head off at Laxus for racing his brand new phaeton carriage, Lord Dreyar grabbed his heart and collapsed. By the time a doctor could reach him, he was long gone, off to whatever special place is reserved for the soul of men who had more than their fair share and didn't share a bit.

Laxus was sure his father had been poisoned and the doctor paid off. He was determined to get an autopsy but his grandfather would not allow it, declaring that dislike for a stepmother was hardly good cause to desecrate his father's corpse. So for the week before Lord Dreyar's bones were laid to rest, the Countess and Laxus spent their time angrily glaring at each other, Laxus waiting for the Countess to break and the Countess waiting to be able to kick Laxus out of her new home.

One can only imagine the shock and the horror that the Countess felt when the will was read and all the lovely things Lord Dreyar had promised her when she agreed to marry him were not there. Instead of the Alexei mansion, he gave her a small manor in no man's land that had been part of his own mother's dowry. She could not keep the paintings or any of the jewels he had gifted her, they all went to Laxus. The jointure he left her was a mere fraction of what she had expected to receive. Laxus was absolutely tickled pink that his father had sent his bride one last insult, though the Duke was not amused and considered the whole ordeal in bad taste.

Unfortunately for the Countess, the Duke was not able to stay around and make sure that a fair arrangement could be settled upon. Instead, he decided that his grandson could be relied upon to do the honorable thing. Of course Laxus had no intention of doing what the Duke wished, instead he left to hunt at one of his southern properties and told his stepmother that she was to vacate the premises before he returned in a few days time and that she would be getting absolutely nothing except for what had been bequeathed to her. What he had not realized was that his stepmother had formed strong loyalty among some of his staff. The moment he left, they began packing all the artwork and furniture that the Countess decided should have been hers in the first place. There was no need to fear the surly young Lord as they all would be long gone before he returned.

Just a day after Laxus left, the Countess was ready to leave, and not to the country manor she considered beneath her, but back to her family home in France. Erza took off in a sprint the moment she could escape her governess' eye. She reached Jellal just as he was about to set out with his valet Richard and his spaniel to hunt duck on the family lake. He was not prepared for her fierce hug, she almost bowled him over. He handed his rifle to Richard, who took it and with a nod of his head said, "I'll just be over there sir." Then Jellal returned Erza's hug though it baffled him. At that time he had not yet heard the results of the will as Laxus had gone away before there was time to discuss it. He had been under the impression that the Countess would receive what she expected and that Erza would remain his neighbor for the foreseeable future.

"Whatever is the matter?" Jellal asked.

"Everything is ruined! Mother is taking us away," Erza sobbed into his chest.

He pushed her away slightly to see her expression. He heard her words, but they didn't make sense. "Away? But I thought you would be able to stay at Alexei."

"So did mother, but Lord Dreyar left it to Laxus and Laxus won't let mother stay," Erza cried.

"Lord Dreyar did not leave it to your mother?" Jellal repeated back dumbly.

Erza frantically shook her head. "No, he cheated her. He was a horrible man, I don't know why she thought he would keep his word in the first place. And now we must go to France, I'm so upset!"

The idea that Erza would be so far away was unacceptable to Jellal. "But you could stay, I'm sure Laxus would let you stay. If not him, then the Duke, you said he seemed fond of you right? Won't the Duke come to your aide? Perhaps your mother could seek his help?"

"No! We are not in need of charity. It is not ours so we will not take it. And you know I can't leave mother, not to stay with Laxus. It would break her heart."

Jellal thought 'hang her mother's heart', but he knew Erza could never be so cruel. Her mother was cold, but she was still Erza's mother. "You're leaving . . ." Jellal sighed mournfully over her shoulder. He still couldn't believe it though she had said it many times.

Erza took his hands, her eyes were suddenly bright, "I am, but Siegrain, I promise I will wait for you. It's just France, when I'm of age you can come for me . . ."

Jellal's eyes drifted to her hopeful face. "What do you mean wait for me? What are you going on about?"

Erza flinched, then attempted another smile. "Please Siegrain, don't be cruel. I don't care that you're just the son of a merchant, I want to be with you."

Jellal felt sick. He had never imagined his poor little friend would develop a crush on him. He cared deeply about her but lustful or romantic ideas were nonexistent. She was still in that awkward phase between a woman a girl, tall but still mostly gangly arms and legs. He just couldn't see her as anything but a little girl. Jellal pushed her away gently and took a step back. "Erza, you don't know what you are saying, you are still just a girl . . ."

"I am not just a girl! I am old enough to know what love is and I love you!" she shouted.

Jellal roughly combed his fingers through his hair. She was distraught, she couldn't really be thinking this through. She couldn't really love him, she was barely more than a child! "Erza," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I just . . .I care about you, I do, but I just don't feel that way about you."

"Oh," Erza whispered, her eyes turned to the ground, but he could see the little wheels in her brain turning and he knew she hadn't given up. Her usually delightful stubbornness was about to be used against him. When she looked back at him, her face was firm with determination. "But you could Siegrain. I'm small now but one day I'll be full grown. I might be pretty then . . ."

"You're already pretty Erza. . ."

Her pleading gained a tinge of desperation, "And for you I would be a good wife, I would wear dresses and do my hair. I could be a delightful hostess and I promise I've been working on my piano playing and my singing. I'd make sure you were always entertained. I would stop traipsing about the countryside, I could be demure and quiet, and I promise I would only eat cake every once in awhile. . ."

Jellal sighed, "Erza, I don't think you understand what I'm saying. You know I would never make you change anything about yourself."

"If there's nothing wrong with me, then why? Why won't you love me?" she snapped impatiently.

It was at that time that Jellal realized there may have been some unforeseen consequences to spending so much time playing games with the younger girl next door. It was only natural that with so many poor male role models around her, she would develop an attachment to him that she would misinterpret as love. He imagined her in her dreary grandmother's house waiting for him and it broke his heart. With the way his life was going, he wasn't sure he would be able to support himself, much less a wife. Erza was the daughter of an Earl and once the stepdaughter of the next Duke of Dreyar, he was the son of the youngest daughter of a baron and a former merchant from Spain, her mother would never approve of the match even if Jellal wanted it.

His parents tried to hide it, but it was clear that his father's money was running low. The staff had been cut drastically, his mother no longer had large dinner parties or even afternoon teas, and he heard his parents arguing almost every night. In his ridiculous attempts to please his genteel wife, his father had overspent his income year after year. With not enough new money coming in, his income shrank drastically but Jellal's mother kept spending. Jellal wasn't even sure if there would be a house or a pound to his name by the time he was of age to have any of it. The idea of Erza waiting for some broke, false gentleman whose true name she wasn't even aware of made him feel guilty and shamed. He should have told her the truth that day years ago when he found her with the sores on her arms. He should have told her his true name the first day he met her!

Erza's face was starting to turn as scarlet as her hair. "Siegrain please, don't you care for me at all? How can you remain silent?!"

Jellal looked at her and he knew it was time to tell the truth. Losing her would be losing his best friend but at least it would cause her less pain. She could find someone who could give her a real future, someone who loved her the way she deserved to be loved. It would hurt her but eventually her heart would mend. He would just become a ghost from her past, someone who taught her to be cautious when it came to giving her heart away. "My name isn't Seigrain, Erza."

"What?"

"Haven't you ever thought how strange it is that I'm always here, on Mr. Fernandes' property?"

"I . . ."

"And isn't it odd to you that a boy of sixteen who claims to be the son of a tradesman is out hunting instead of helping his father with the business."

Erza took a step back, "If your father has done well, then. . ."

"You have to have at least suspected. I know I've seen you hidden away in the house when I visited Laxus. Didn't you notice it was my hair. . . my face? Even from a distance?"

Her voice became very small, "That was . . .that was Jellal. You told me you looked alike . . ."

"Of course I would look like Jellal." Jellal did his best to appear unaffected when he declared, "I am Jellal."

Erza looked down and began wringing her hands, "But you . . .you've been Siegrain for almost four years . . .How could you . . ." She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, "Why would you lie to me like that?"

"It did just start as a lark," Jellal admitted. He forced himself to smile, he had to ruin her impression of him. "You were just too silly to figure it out and it was good fun to keep the game going. Besides, I wanted to keep our time together separate, hidden."

"Hidden? Because of my mother?" Erza asked.

"Only a little." Jellal swallowed. He knew he had to be cruel, but he was loath to do so. "The truth is I was only wasting time with you because I was bored. If anyone else was around I wouldn't have spent any time with you. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if my friends found out I was running around with a little girl? This way if you tried to out me I could say it was utter nonsense."

"But you liked spending time with me . . .you said . . ."

"Don't wait for me Erza because I won't be waiting for you," he stated firmly. "I don't love you and I never will." He almost choked at the end, the way her face crumbled killed him. She covered her eyes and began to cry into her hands. Jellal felt like the worst person in the world.

His kind nature began to get the best of him and he started to reach out to her to comfort her in some way. She surprised him by slapping his hand away, her tears replaced with white, hot rage. She shoved a finger in his face and shouted, "You don't mean that Siegrain or  _Jellal_  or whatever you say your name is! I know you don't mean that because if you did you wouldn't be giving me that sorrowful look. You are a coward and an idiot and I don't know if I'll ever forgive you!" She spat on the ground in front of him, "I don't embarrass you, you embarrass me."

He knew then that he must be crazy because her little fit of rage pleased him. As if seeing her anger helped him believe she was going to be okay. He didn't apologize or try to take it back, he couldn't, so instead he just stared at her. This might be the last time he ever saw his little friend and he wanted to remember her just as she was, angry, strong, stubborn, and red. She would grow into one hell of a woman but he was sad he wouldn't be able to see it.

His lack of response only served to make her more irate. She punched him in the gut, taking away his breath and almost making him lose his lunch. "I hope you learn to be a man  _Jellal_ because you certainly aren't one now!" Then she ran back the way she came from.

By the time Jellal was able to stand up straight again, Richard was by his side with a concerned expression on his face. "Is Miss Erza okay sir?"

Jellal would have found it comical that his valet was more worried about Erza than himself but he was still in so much pain. He rubbed his stomach and frowned at where the flash of red disappeared into the woods. "No, but she will be."

Richard nodded and asked, "Are you still wanting to head to lake?"

Jellal shook his head. Though he was the cause, losing Erza this way was painful, like he was losing part of himself. He suddenly didn't want to do much of anything. "No, I'm suddenly not feeling well. I think I would like to return home and retire to my room."

That evening, in a fit of regret, he wrote her a proper goodbye full of apologies. Unfortunately by the time he attempted to deliver it to her home the next day, Erza and her mother were gone.


	8. Skeletons in the Closet

Dinner for Jellal was anything but aggravating. Erza sat across from him at the other end of the table and he found his eyes drifting to her bright scarlet hair anytime he looked up from his plate. Unfortunately this would also bring his attention to her mother next to her, who somehow managed to eat her entire meal while watching him with the most disapproving expression he had ever seen in his life. It was like having the sun repeatedly eclipsed, and yet no matter how many times her mother's glares burned him, he couldn't help sneaking glances at Erza.

Count Neekis tried repeatedly to bring the Countess into conversation but after a few clipped answers he turned his attention to Miss Strauss who had strategically placed him right next to herself. Their polite conversation seemed to only make the Countess' scowl pinch tighter. Jellal worried about the fact that no one at her end of the table seemed the least bit interested in defusing the rage building beneath the Countess's rigid exterior. To her left Erza sat acting abnormally quiet and reserved, and on her right Laxus had decided after the second course that the dining room table was the ideal place for an evening nap. Their silence only seemed to exacerbate Countess Belserion's foul temper. Jellal feared an explosion was imminent and he worried it might be directed his way.

Thankfully Miss Strauss had given Jellal the seat across from her. If anything, the Countess' bad mood only seemed to make Miss Strauss more cheerful and her chatter gave Jellal small moments of pleasant distraction. At the head of the table next to them, the Duke was oblivious as usual, happily drinking his wine as he listened to Miss Strauss work her magic on the Count. Erik was not of much use on Jellal's left, whatever Laxus had given the man before dinner was now making him paranoid. He kept darting glances at the Countess and whispering what sounded like a chant or prayer in his mother's native tongue. When the Duke noticed, he chuckled and leaned towards the Count and Miss Strauss. He very loudly whispered behind his hand, "His mother is from India," putting a strange emphasis on the first syllable, as if this was a proper explanation for Erik's strange behavior. To the Count's credit, he nodded and smiled at the Duke's insensitive comment, then encouraged Miss Strauss to continue her discourse on which herbs are best served with hare. If Erik's behavior disturbed him, the Count kept it to himself. Jellal tried repeatedly to elbow Erik and hiss at him to get a hold of himself, but Erik rambled on. It was clear he needed his bed.

By the end of the fourth course, the servants had already brought an absurd amount of dishes, both savory and sweet. Jellal noticed that the Countess prevented Erza from having any of the tarts or the puddings, she even shooed away a server with a plate of dates. It was infuriating, Erza was an adult, she should be able to eat as she pleased. The final straw came with the arrival of the fifth course, when a massive sponge cake was brought out, the inside dripping with a vibrant raspberry jam. Jellal saw the way Erza's face lit up at the sight and it made him glow as well to finally see such a glorious sight. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her truly smile.

But when the servant with the cake drew near, Eileen turned her head from Jellal and speared the servant with her piercing glare. Her eyes went wide. "Absolutely not, we do not need any of that on  _this_  side of the table!"

For the first time that evening Jellal saw the start of red on Erza's cheeks and temples. Finally she was angry, finally she had had enough. Jellal grew giddy in anticipation of her rage, he had longed for years to see her glorious temper directed at the woman who he believed deserved it the most. However, Erik didn't give him the chance. He stood at his place, swaying slightly and shouted, "Just let the lass eat the damn cake! Have you no mercy?! Is there no kindness in that frozen heart of yers?"

Everyone was stunned to silence, even Erik seemed surprised that he had said such a thing out loud. With wide eyes, he slowly lowered himself into the seat and reached a shaky hand to take a sip of his wine. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of weighted silence, Laxus yawned and stretched in his seat. He shifted on the cushion and scratched his neck. Then, without bothering to open his eyes, he said, "You still going on about damn cake, just give her a piece already. She's too skinny as it is."

The Countess turned her shocked expression to Laxus but she couldn't seem to get any words out of her partially opened lips. Erza took advantage of her mother's distraction and helped the terrified servant slip a large piece of the offensive confection in front of her. Then to Jellal's delight, she took a large bite, made a happy sound and told her mother, "It  _is_ very good. You should have a piece too mother."

The Countess turned to her daughter and blinked three times before cutting her eyes towards Count Neekis. His careful observation seemed to make her slip out of her discomfort like a snake shedding its skin. She took a sip of her wine and then smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure it is very tasty, but a child's tea cake is hardly appropriate dinner food. If this was  _my_  house that cake never would have graced this table. I suppose it isn't Miss Strauss' fault, she means well but she just doesn't have the breeding to do what is expected of a duchess." She smiled at Duke Dreyar and added, "I think it might be a little unfair of Your Grace and Laxus to put such a burden on her."

Jellal could see that though Miss Strauss smiled, a fire was building in her eyes. He wondered if the Countess might be the one to finally break the genteel mask she worked so hard to maintain. From the way Erik retreated into himself, he could tell his cousin was beginning to wish he was anywhere else, but Jellal felt like he had front row seats at the theater. He turned to see the Duke's response. The little old man leaned back in his seat and looked the Countess straight in the eye. "How inconsiderate of me not to die so that you could honor this table with your perfect planning Countess."

The Countess' lips twisted with displeasure, perhaps recognizing she had taken one step too far. Next to her Laxus had opened one eye. He watched her carefully as she backtracked, "Oh Your Grace, of course not! After all, there are other ways to pass on titles. I was not trying to imply that such a thing would have to come at your expense. At my table I would vastly prefer to have you seated at a place of honor."

The Duke helped himself to a bite of cake and chewed it slowly. When he finished he patted his mouth with his napkin. He smiled grimly as he set it back down. "If you did take me into consideration at a dinner you planned, then you would be serving this very cake as I would have requested it. I am quite fond of it you see and I don't have the good fortune to have it with  _my_  afternoon tea as I find having anything that time of day does not agree with me."

The Countess darted a glance at Miss Strauss's smug smile and then she frowned at the cake that remained in front of her daughter. "Oh . . . I see . . . "

The Duke finished another bite before adding, "Really it's beside the point because you never would have been the Duchess of Dreyar as I had already taken all the steps necessary to make sure that Ivan never became Duke."

"What?!" the Countess exclaimed.

The Duke was kind enough to look slightly remorseful. "I do give my deepest apologies that you were fooled by my rat of a son. I believe that his marriage to you was yet another attempt at reclaiming a place in my good graces."

Laxus laughed loudly at the Countess' distress so the Duke turned to him and said, "I don't know what you are finding so funny, you were out of the running for a few years there as well."

All signs of mirth disappeared and Laxus slammed a fist on the table, "You cannot be serious! Who the hell did you propose would take my place?!"

"Laxus there are ladies present," hissed Miss Strauss.

"Your second cousin Mr. Macao of course," the Duke said with a shrug.

Laxus' lip curled. "You cannot be serious that man is absolutely worthless!"

"Oh I can assure you Laxus, I was," the Duke said with a nod. He ate another bite of cake and smiled at Miss Strauss. "You will have to tell the cook she got it just right this time. I want it cooked like this every time from now on."

Miss Strauss smiled and nodded as if she was unaware of the chaos the Duke had just caused. "Yes, Your Grace. I am pleased that it is to you liking."

"Now come now grandfather, you can't just announce something like that and not explain yourself further!" cried Laxus.

The Duke chuckled, "I can if I want to." Jellal found himself taking a very large swig of his wine. Things were beginning to get out of hand. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Erza doing the same thing and they shared a rare secret smiled. It was nice to have a like minded ally in this crazy hodgepodge of a group.

Laxus sighed through his teeth in a deep hiss. "Then at least assure me that I'm still next in line."

The Duke lifted his glass for a servant to fill it and chuckled, "You are. Thankfully, I was able to change my mind." He was clearly enjoying himself much more than the Countess and his grandson.

"Why your grace?" Erza asked. Her pleasant voice cutting across the table.

The Duke stopped smiling, "Are you asking why I allowed Laxus to remain heir?" When Erza nodded the Duke smiled again and nodded towards Jellal. "For once he helped someone other than himself."

Jellal felt touched that the Duke considered helping him something of consequence. Even after all these years he was still surprised every time the Duke deemed him worthy of his aide.

A foreboding cackle started at the other end of the table, tearing away Jellal's pleasure. "Are you serious? You're saying because your grandson risked your money on something that made him even richer, he has shown himself to be of good character? You consider Laxus to now be a good man because he funded the Man of the Mist?" the Countess spat.

The name cut through Jellal like a knife. He slowly shifted his glance towards her haughty smile and finally saw her for the woman Erik always warned him of. The Countess Belserion had to be a witch, and one of the worst kinds, to be able to reach into the depths of hell and pull out that demon that Jellal had left behind. He felt as if everyone's eyes were upon him, most heavily the one person who mattered most, but he could not think of a way to defend himself.

The Countess seemed glad to have finally drawn blood from one of her enemies at the table. She looked ready to go for the kill. "Sure, some might consider him to be a hero of sorts, but I can hardly agree with his methods." She smiled at Jellal and added, "Barbaric really, like a man possessed."

"Countess, you go too far," the Duke started.

The Countess stood, "No need to worry, I've said all I need to say, but I'm afraid I've lost my appetite. So if you'll excuse me, I will go stretch my legs for a bit before we convene in the drawing room. I find it helps the digestion." The table watched her warily as she strutted towards the hall. Even after she left it did not clear the discomfort that choked the room.

Because he liked punishing himself, Jellal ventured a glance at Erza. She was back to being atypically quiet and she pushed around her cake without taking a bite. When the servant took the half uneaten piece away, Jellal felt like it was him on that plate. He worried the Countess had caused Erza to lose her appetite for him as well.


	9. The Origin of the Mist

For the rest of dinner Jellal pushed the food around on his plate quietly and ignored the polite conversation of those around him. His body may have been at the table, but his mind was back in India. At first he had loved it, mostly because it was nothing like England and at the time that was exactly what he needed. The colors were brighter, the sounds louder, the smells more fragrant, and the food rich and delicious; there was so little to remind him of home. It was like living in a whole new world and after the taxing end of his teens, he needed it. He decided he would leave the past behind, start anew. Unfortunately, it wasn't a change for the better, if anything the move only pushed him further from goodness, to a version of himself that he would look back on with revulsion and shame.

If you were to ask Erik or any of his family to try and pinpoint the beginning of Jellal's downward spiral, they would probably guess it was just before seventeen when his father left. Most would assume it would take something as extreme as being abandoned to destitution by the person who was supposed to protect you for one to grow dark and cold. However, if you asked his valet Richard, he would give a different answer. For he knew that his young master lost his smile the moment that bit of red hair disappeared into the woods. From that day forward all efforts at cheer were forced, all humor was dark, and days were spent alone in melancholy introspection.

It was because of the loss of his sunshine that Jellal was of no use to his mother that fateful day when instead of her husband at the breakfast table she found a note. Maybe if he had his little cheerful friend he would have had words of support for her instead of telling his mother that surely she should have seen this coming. Maybe when his father's lenders came to let them know they no longer had a house he could have done something more than coldly watch her beg them for more time. Maybe he could have shown some enthusiasm about the move to her brother's in Scotland. Maybe he could have stopped her from taking her life only a few month's after their move.

He would always regret not being a better son during her last few months but instead of inspiring Jellal to be better it turned him colder. Through the generosity of the Duke, he finished his last year at Harrow with Laxus, but he ended up fighting more than studying. So when the Duke offered to pay his way through University, Jellal politely turned the offer down. He refused to waste another man's money becoming a man he no longer desired to be. University was what his father had wanted for him so it was vile, and he was tired of dealing with the gossip and jibs of young men whose biggest hardship was getting grease on their favorite silk tie.

Jellal was impatient. He wanted to see the world, not learn about it in books. So when his cousin Erik spoke of an uncle looking to take advantage of a weakening in the East India company, Jellal was immediately ready to pack his bags. He couldn't wait to see the world. He was going to make his own way and finally become a man of import using his own two hands.

He spent a year working with Erik's Uncle Brain. In the beginning it seemed like fate, Jellal thought he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Brain taught him more about trade, languages, and fighting than schooling ever could, and Jellal learned quickly. Together they tore through their competitors, quickly taking a good chunk of the trade in tea, opiates, and silk. With the ships purchased with Laxus' money, he paid his friend back tenfold within the year. Jellal should have noticed the building resentment and distrust that was simmering below Brain's calm surface but he was too focused on their success and the cash flow coming in. Jellal was so sure of his own importance that it never occurred to him that Brain might consider him a threat and cut him loose.

The day it all came crashing down Jellal willingly walked to his own demise. Brain gave him an address for a possible supplier of spices and fabrics from the far East and asked him to handle it by himself. This should have been the first sign that things were wrong, Brain would never let Jellal go to something like that on his own, but Jellal was arrogant and took it as a sign of his growth. He thought Brain was finally taking him seriously.

The large men guarding the door let Jellal through, giving him about the same attention they would to a fly. It was the first thing that made Jellal uncertain. Then when he entered the main room, everything was dark and choked with incense. He called out a hesitant "hello?" and listened, his breath trapped in his throat. When only silence answered his call, he quickly put himself on guard but there was little he could do against the four well-trained fighters that set upon him in the next moment. All Jellal managed was an elbow to one man's groin and a finger in another man's eye before he was completely subdued, his face smashed into the dirt.

"Mr. Fernandes, how kind of you to finally grace us with your presence." The last person he expected to appear was a woman. Her face was cast mostly in darkness, but one sharp eye was revealed by the tiniest sliver of light from a crack in the shuttered window. "Brain tells me that  _you_  are the reason I am losing some of my best suppliers."

Jellal knew showing fear never got you anywhere, especially on this side of the world. So he grinned up towards her and said, "Ah, so you're not a future partner then. Brain must have given me the wrong house."

The pinch to the corner of her eye revealed her frown. "You don't seem to be very quick on the uptake."

"Madame, I'm sorry for troubling you and your men during . . .whatever it was you were doing with four men in the dark," Jellal quipped. "If you will just release me I promise I will just go on my merry way, all wrongs forgotten."

"Oh, no. You didn't interrupt us. We were waiting for you," the woman said.

Jellal tried to look up at the man grinding his cheek into the dirt. "Five men then? Seems a bit greedy if you ask me." The woman's eye narrowed and Jellal received a sharp blow to the back of the head. Jellal scowled and gave a huff of annoyance before adding, "Perhaps I did happen to take a bit of your pie but I can assure you, I never took anything that didn't want to be taken." One of the woman's guards jammed a knee hard into his back and unbidden his throat released a groan of pain. Jellal cut his eyes at the guard and caught the glint of the man's silver tooth. He scowled and muttered under his breath, "When I have the chance, you will be first."

"But there won't be a chance Mr. Fernandes," the woman said. "I don't know why you are trying to act so cavalier. You should be begging for mercy and denouncing Brain, as he is the one who put you right in my clutches. I'm well aware that you are both responsible for my . . .inconvenience. No matter what the old scorpion pretends." She grinned wide and torches suddenly lit up the room revealing brightly dyed fabrics draped around the chamber and a woman with hair the shade of onyx seated on her own golden throne. Jellal's heart dropped when he realized it was far more than four men that he would have to fight through to get out the door. There was at least another dozen along the surrounding walls. The woman seemed to notice his discouragement and she delighted in it. Her trill of laughter sent a chill down his spine. "It is of little import, he will be dealt with soon and you are mine now Mr. Fernandes. From this day forward you will do as I say and only as I say if you wish to remain a whole."

Jellal remembered thinking she was quite beautiful for such a callous bitch before her men flipped him on his back and forced him to look straight up at the dark clay ceiling. He tried to struggle but their hands were just too strong. The hot metal brand came just as fast as his assault and he had no way to turn away from it. He didn't feel the pain at first, he was too shocked by the heat and the smell. When the pain came it was all-encompassing, the world around him disappeared and his senses were flooded with absolute agony. Luckily it was only for a moment and then his world went black.


	10. A Little Entertainment

Though his shoes felt full of lead, Jellal somehow managed to drag himself toward the parlor after an awkward last two courses. He was so distracted by thoughts of his past that he didn't notice Erza keeping pace by his side the whole way, attempting to send him reassuring smiles. So he was completely surprised when she immediately took the seat next to him on the sofa. To him it was as if she had appeared out of thin air. He had assumed from her mother's comment, that Erza must think him some kind of monster but somehow there she was, fiddling nervously with her fan in her lap. It boggled his mind.

Jellal was afraid to look at her, as if she was some sort of mirage that would disappear when he looked too closely. Eventually curiosity got the best of him and he slowly turned to her, eyes leading the rest of his face. He was sure he reddened slightly at her small smile, there was no other way to explain the sudden heat that spread from his cheeks down to his chest. Jellal swallowed deeply and quickly turned his attention towards the piano. He hoped that by not looking directly at her, he might lessen the overwhelming excitement at her closeness and allow his brain to finally catch up with the rest of him.

"Would you please thank you cousin for his brashness? I very much enjoyed the cake," Erza said softly, leaning his direction in a way that made all the little hairs on his neck stand at attention.

Jellal turned to her with what he hoped appeared to be an unaffected grin. "I can, though I hope tomorrow you will be able to tell him yourself." Erik had excused himself immediately at the end of dinner. Jellal had been tempted to do the same but somehow escaping to his room felt like letting the Countess win.

"Luckily the sickness Laxus imposes is usually cured by the next day," Erza said with a grin.

Jellal could only stare at her. That she could sit next to him and joke, the whole thing felt like a dream. When he continued to stare, she arched a brow and grinned wider. "Perhaps you partook as well?"

Jellal snapped from his stupor and chuckled, then he shook his head. "No, I've learned my lesson. I avoid anything Dreyar keeps in his desk."

"No, no, no. That will not do," the Countess practically shouted from across the room. "Miss Strauss you  _cannot_  go first. Let Erza go. I don't want her performance lessened by comparison."

Miss Strauss slowly lifted herself from the piano bench she had just lowered herself onto, her jaw tight with displeasure. She looked to the Dreyar's for help but the Duke was drifting to sleep in his favorite chair and Laxus merely toasted her with an already half finished scotch. Jellal could tell Miss Strauss was working very hard to contain an eyeroll when she left the piano to take a seat next to the Count.

Erza sighed, "It's a wonder that mother wants me to sing at all."

Jellal grinned and decided to risk a tease. "Maybe she just realizes she can't stop you."

He was rewarded with a twinkle in her eye and a snarky twist to her lips. "Hmm. . .I suppose she can't." Then she stood and made her way towards the piano.

Jellal rested an elbow on the arm of the sofa and leaned contentedly into the palm of his hand. It was always a treat when Erza sang because it meant he was completely free to keep his attention on her and her alone. He watched the way the skirt of her dress swayed with her walk, studied where it cinched at her waist, and when she turned to sit at the piano, he allowed himself a quick glance at her chest before resting his eyes on her beautiful hair.

If he had his way she would be the only one at the piano for the entire night, unfortunately she usually only performed one song, maybe two at best. Erza was not the worst singer but she was far from the most accomplished. Unfortunately her enthusiasm for performing always ended up being slightly overshadowed by her nerves and, though usually on pitch, her singing would end up being more of a shout than a warble. She was well favored among the elderly because they could actually hear her but the part of the crowd that wasn't hard of hearing sometimes winced at the volume.

Erza started to play and the tune of 'long long ago' found its way from the keys to his ears. Jellal's lazy grin flattened to a serious line. Her voice was softer than usual when she began to sing and it buzzed through him, putting every nerve in his body on alert. Then her eyes caught his when she sang "now you are come all my grief is removed," and Jellal felt as if his stomach and his heart tied themselves together in a knot. Her feelings for him felt so suddenly clear. She looked away and had to cough slightly before she sang about love and Jellal felt the strongest urge to leap up from his seat and kiss her newly reddened cheeks. The room suddenly felt small and claustrophobic, the fact that others were sitting and listening to this song seemed intrusive and wrong. It frustrated and embarrassed him to experience such strong emotion in the middle of everyone else. Yet she sang on, ignoring their audience and only looking up to catch his eye. She was beautiful.

She stopped and the silence was deafening. When Erza stood he could only stare, even when the room gave a polite applause. She bowed slightly to everyone else. Then she turned to him and his eyes couldn't leave hers as she glided towards him. He barely heard her mother say, "Very good Erza, I think melancholy tunes suite you. Wasn't it good Count Neekis?"

"Yes, Miss Belserion you have really improved," Count Neekis agreed.

"Thank you Count Neekis. You are too kind," Erza said but her eyes remained on Jellal. She took the seat next to him and Jellal forced himself to turn his gaze to the piano. He was afraid looking at her in this close proximity might cause him to do something stupid.

Miss Strauss hurried to the piano and took a seat. She made a happy sound and immediately her fingers were dancing over the keys, playing in the elegant, almost inhuman way she always played. Everyone visibly relaxed, probably happy to forget the night's discomfort and lose themselves in the sounds of Miss Strauss's plunking. Jellal took advantage of the room's distraction and leaned towards Erza. "That was lovely," he murmured while keeping his eyes on the piano.

"I know you only did what you had to," Erza whispered.

Jellal slowly turned to her. He could see that she was surprised that her remark didn't please him, but he couldn't even pretend. He wasn't proud of his past, he would spend the rest of his life haunted by his actions, but he would not allow himself to forget them, he did not deserve to forget them. While Erza's comment was meant to put him at ease, it only made him fear that she might be seeing someone else when she looked at him. He could not be Siegrain, he could not be the perfect boy next door.

He turned his head back to the piano. "I didn't  _have_  to do any of it," he whispered back and his mouth turned down into a grim line.

Erza gave a frustrated huff. "But you would have died if you didn't. Wally told me . . ."she trailed off when Miss Strauss ended her piece. On the inside Jellal was fuming, if Wally knew anything about his time in India then Jellal was sure a certain valet was to blame. He wondered if he had found his leak to the Countess. The thought that he might have been betrayed in such a way made him sick.

Miss Strauss began another song and Erza's brows lowered sharply. "I don't understand you, are you trying to say your life isn't important. Are you saying it's something you could so easily decide to throw away?"

Jellal sagged and sighed, "Yes." If he could he would go back and make that decision for himself all over again, he would. The world would be a better place if his life had ended with that brand.

She made a small growl of annoyance and began fiercely waving her fan. "That is completely ridiculous. You had to do what you needed to to survive." He only frowned and stared at Miss Strauss's expression of concentration. He wasn't going to fight with Erza about this, not now, not when they could draw such an audience.

She closed her fan and jabbed it into his ribcage and he grunted with discomfort. "What was that for?" he hissed, finally turning to glower in her direction.

Her face was now red with anger. "Then I suppose nothing is sacred for you? How can anything  _not_  have a price when you treat your own life so callously?"

His face softened as he processed her words. He looked from her hair to her eyes and smiled slightly. It felt good to say, "That isn't true."

"Oh? Then what is it? What is the one thing that you would do anything for? What in God's name could you consider more important than the very breath within you," Erza snapped.

"You," he said simply. It was her turn to stare stupefied, her face fading to a pale porcelain before turning a lovely shade of pink.

Miss Strauss finished playing and the Countess stood before anyone could clap. "I think that's enough entertainment for the evening. Erza, walk with me dear. I feel tired and I need an arm."

"Madame, I could . . ." Count Neekis began.

The Countess cut him off with a scowl and a snap of, "No, don't trouble yourself. Erza can help me."

"I . . ." Erza seemed conflicted. Her eyes flicked from Jellal to her mother and back again.

"Erza . . .good grief. Will you hurry up? I'm exhausted," her mother said.

Erza sighed, "Yes mother." She held Jellal's gaze as she rose from her seat and for the first time in a long time he didn't feel hopeless about her leaving. He had finally managed to convey to her exactly how important she was to him and she had yet to reject it. The way she seemed loath to release eye contact made his heart feel as though it might beat out of his chest.

He watched her leave, too high in spirits to worry who saw. Miss Strauss plopped down in Erza's place. She cocked her head and smiled coyly, "Who knew that Mr. Fernandes could be so charming?" She sighed and clutched at her heart, "How she could not be moved by such . . ."

"Mira!" Laxus slurred. "She might be done but we're not. Play more!"

"Yes Mira! Please continue," agreed the Duke.

"Freed, some cigars," Laxus shouted over his shoulder. Then he slapped the Count on the back, "One for my new friend here too. We've all been through hell and survived."

The count chuckled, "I wouldn't exactly say that but a cigar does sound lovely."

"Don't you worry, I'll find a way to get you more time," whispered Miss Strauss.

"Mira quit wasting bloody time with Fernandes. He's a lovesick bore!" Lord Dreyar commanded. "Play me something lively, I need my spirits lifted."

Mira cut her eyes to Lord Dreyar and her nose twitched. Jellal grinned, "He's a bit drunk."

Laxus threw his head back and called, "Mira!" at the ceiling.

Miss Strauss looked ready to throttle him but instead she stood and after winking at Jellal, marched over to the piano. She sat with a loud thump then after casting one more furious glance in Lord Dreyar's direction she began to play almost violently. Her mood was completely lost on Lord Dreyar. He sighed, "Finally," and helped himself to the cigar and fresh glass of scotch that Freed offered him. Jellal grinned and settled back in his seat. The world around him was madness, but this place never changed.


	11. Red Liberation

After a few songs, Jellal found the merriment of Mira's music too much to bear. He stood and said with a slight bow to his head, "If you will excuse me Dreyar, I believe I will retire for the evening."

Lord Dreyar didn't move or even bother to open his eyes when he slurred,"What are you going on about? The night is still young!"

Count Neekis jumped up behind Jellal and eagerly added, "I must retire as well. It has been a long day of travel."

Lord Dreyar had no response for this other than a tiny snore, but Mira stopped playing and smiled at Jellal and the Count. "I believe that Lord Dreyar has decided it is time for bed as well. Good night gentlemen!" She nodded at Freed who was waiting in the corner of the room and he hurried off. Jellal had seen this show before, in a bit he would return with Bixlow from downstairs, since he was the only other staff member large enough to handle the young lord, and the two would manhandle Lord Dreyar back to his room. It was entertaining to watch, but Jellal had seen it many times, so instead he nodded at Mira and took his leave.

Count Neekis was long gone by the time Jellal made it to the hall and he was glad for it since he wasn't in the mood for small talk. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to be much company anyway as he was torturing himself over the question of whether his pursuit of Erza truly came from any desire to make her happy or if it was only his own twisted selfishness. He was sure no one else could make him happy but was he really the right man for her? It had been a long time since he last doubted his worth as a suitor but her mother had dragged out his largest demon and his guilt was now threatening to swallow him whole.

Jellal wondered how much Erza actually knew and he was suddenly filled with the desire to tell her everything. What would she think of him then? Would she still find his company palatable? Would she forgive him? Would she chastise him? Would she have some sort of penance for him, some way to free him from these chains? Jellal wandered up to the stairway thinking that maybe he could chance a knock on Erza's door. Before taking the first step he froze, because a certain lady's maid had taken a seat in a chair at the top of the stairs, as if on guard. Jellal glared at her but her penetrating stare made it clear, she would not let him do as he pleased. He knew causing a scene in the hall with her maid would be the worst way to get Erza's attention and he was too antsy to retire to his room, upstairs would have to wait. With one last glare at the maid, he reluctantly turned and headed towards the door to the garden.

Outside, before heading deeper into the courtyard, Jellal looked up and counted off to Erza's window. There were no signs of life and he worried that it was a bad sign. Did she not give his words a second thought? Had she just written off his sincere sentiment as mere flirtation? Or worse, was his affection unwanted?

Spiraling down into a bout of melancholy, he dragged himself towards the maze in the middle of the courtyard. When he was deep inside the walls of shrubbery, he found a bench at a dead end and laid down on it. There was a large moon in the sky and a handful of disapproving stars. They knew he was reaching too high. Erza was as far away from him as they were. He was the notorious 'man of the mist' and she might as well be 'queen of the fairies,' he was barely worthy to be in the same room.

He wondered if maybe this was a sign, maybe the Countess's reminder of his past self was just fate's way of letting him know he had already gotten better than he deserved. Just being able to sit next to Erza was more than he could have ever hoped for. He ran his fingers over the raised scar on his cheek, he should always remember, he could never forget. He had worked for Satan herself.

To this day he could not tell you how long he was unconscious after Ultear's men branded him, or what exactly it was that they forced down his throat when he woke. The days blurred together with strange periods of painful consciousness where his lungs felt on fire and his stomach would not stop threatening to empty itself. Finally after what felt like an eternity in hell, he woke and this time when they forced the strange liquid into him, he didn't feel violently ill anymore. It was instead replaced with sweet relief and a clear head. He felt sharp and aware, and all the pain he felt just seconds prior had disappeared. It had been so long since he had felt well that it was disorienting. He could only stare up at Ultear with confused surprise.

The woman was pleased, "I knew you would be able to handle it." She had her men pull Jellal to his feet as she pulled a tiny vial from the folds of her clothes. "It's time I send you home and I'm going to let you go with this. When you want more, and you will, know there will be a price." She smiled, "Though I'm sure you will have no qualms about paying it." She ran a finger down the scar on his face. "Never forget that you are mine" -she laughed- "you will never be able to hide it."

Jellal didn't need to be told twice. With a nod and a wary glare, he took the bottle and stumbled for the door. On his way, he spotted the man with the silver tooth and he punched the man so hard that he almost toppled over on top with him. Jellal was surprised when Ultear told her men to leave it be. Not wanting to chance a change of heart, he quickened his pace out into the street without so much as a glance back. Outside the sunshine on his face was the most welcome sensation he had felt in his entire life. He wandered a ways down the street and leaned up against a wall to regain his balance and let himself soak it in.

The market outside was loud and bustling as usual, but it felt different. As he walked along, Jellal found he could actually make out distinct conversations, he could tell the directions of the smells, and despite the chaos, he could focus on even the most minute details. He processed everything even though it was happening at the same time, as if the world around him had slowed. The pickpocket at the produce cart, stealing a rupee from the woman haggling with the vendor. The fly, landing in a pile of horse dung and immediately flying over to land on the chicken hanging in the meat vendor's stall. The whispers behind the English soldier's back and the mother convincing her son to drop the pebble he considered throwing. It should have been the first sign that things were wrong, but Jellal just found it fascinating.

Though he still didn't trust it, Jellal was starting to think Ultear had given him an unexpected gift in this serum she had forced on him. At the time, he assumed that it only dulled his pain and sharpened his senses. What he didn't know was that it dulled his emotions and sharpened his violence as well. It silenced his conscience and gave the prideful and greedy side of his ego a voice. It took away his fear and replaced it with a cold indifference that would be far more dangerous than bravery ever could be. He still didn't know that it was more of a curse than a blessing.

His gait slowly returned to normal as he walked along towards the dockyard, excited at the prospect of seeing Erik and Richard again. He hoped they hadn't fared worse than himself. It didn't take long for it to occur to Jellal that he couldn't just waltz back in to their warehouse as if nothing had happened. Brain would never let him, he hadn't sent Jellal into Ultear's clutches out of the kindness of his heart. Brain would have to go. With how long Jellal assumed he had been missing, he was sure Brain would have written him off as dead by now. Jellal knew Brain was a creature of habit and he could easily be taken by surprise. Jellal stopped and instead of continuing on for the dockyard, he turned towards an inn he knew would be discreet. It was time to make a plan.

It should have given Jellal pause that he didn't think twice about waiting in an alley til night, when the fog rolled in and visibility was low. He should have found it strange that his thoughts were nothing but cold calculation when he heard his former mentor lock the door to the warehouse. He should have found the large men accompanying Brain intimidating instead of only focusing on the distance they left between themselves and Brain and how much time it allotted him. Unfortunately, nothing slowed him or his now sharper cunning. He slipped behind Brain as if he was the mist itself, and then almost hugged the man as he sank a blade deep into Brain's gut.

When Brain lifted his eyes up to Jellal, there was no surprise. Brain closed his eyes and sighed, "That two-faced bitch." Jellal didn't even pause to think what sad last words those were. He let Brain slip from his grasp and was gone before Brain's guards even realized something had occurred. His only thought on the matter was that when he returned, the men would be fired. They were clearly terrible at their job.

Now, laying on the bench in the warm night air of Magnolia, he shuddered at the thought of the man that Ultear had brought out in him. The way he was able to walk back in just a few days later and hug his cousin as if he hadn't done such a terrible thing, made him sick. Erik had been none the wiser. He just pulled away from the embrace and clapped Jellal on the face with a grin. "If ya needed a tattoo I know a guy who takes just a day. Three months seems a bit excessive."

Jellal grinned back and said, "I'll remember that next time."

Now Jellal wondered if Richard had known all along. On that day, his valet had stood back and looked on with uncharacteristic silence. It wasn't until Jellal nodded to him and said "Are you well Richard?" that the valet gave any sign of life.

Even then, Richard seemed strangely solemn. "It's good to have you back sir. I'm afraid we're currently a ship without a captain."

Erik grimaced, "I'm afraid Uncle Brain met some misfortune last night."

Jellal nodded and said, "I'm sorry," though it wasn't a sentiment he truly felt.

Erik snorted as he took a seat at his desk. "The shame is that the kindest thing that man ever did for me is die. The attorney was by yesterday and he's left his shares of the company to me." Erik grinned morosely up at Jellal and added, "It's a good thing yer back, don't know that I could have done this with just Macbeth for help."

"He's quite good if you can wake him," Jellal had quipped, and with Erik's chuckle, life seemed to return to normal.

Afterwards, Jellal quickly fell back into his old life. Their suppliers were glad to see him back and business picked up an easy pace. Though he promised himself he would wean himself from Ultear's drug, he still found himself taking a drop every time it started to wear off. It wasn't long before the bottle was empty and his misery began. After just a day of the head splitting pain and the gut emptying nausea, Jellal found himself huddled at Ultear's doorstep, cursing himself for making her smile.

The first task was simple, a ledger from a competitor. Jellal wrapped his now distinct face and went for it in the night, slipping in and out before anyone saw him. But that was only the beginning, Jellal found himself returning to Ultear again and again. It wasn't long before he learned that it was easier to accomplish her tasks before withdrawal set in, he began to come to her before his vial was done. It started easy, just a document here and there, but eventually he was stealing larger things; weapons, money, jewels. Next thing he knew, he was setting fire to ships and setting horses free. The first time she requested he make an example of someone, it gave him pause, but only a few days of misery had him taking the man's finger without a care. By the time she had him take a life he was so addicted and desperate that he didn't think twice. He always came at night, he always came quietly, his work was never found until the household woke. He became a legend, he became a nightmare, he made grown men afraid of the dark. He became a monster.

If he had never met Erza he might have remained that way. Somehow, after those four summers together, she was stamped in his brain as a symbol of light, happiness, and all that was good. It was during the colorful Holi festival that he finally broke free of his waking nightmare. Jellal watched the merriment from a rooftop and became mesmerized by a young girl dancing in the street, covered from head to toe with red. As soon as his eyes found her it was as if the world around her disappeared, there was nothing but red, twirling and smiling. His brain was folded with memories of Erza. All he could think of was scarlet, how his life had somehow become devoid of color, love, and happiness, and how much it would pain her if she knew.

Jellal became desperate to be free of this man that he had become, this man his red girl would have despised. He ran home and dumped every last vial in the street, stomping the glass into the dust. Then he ran out to the people and made sure he was covered from head to toe with reds and yellows, becoming one with the joyful crowd. He danced, laughed, and sang until he finally felt human again. Then when the world grew dark, and the merriment left the streets, he dragged himself to Erik's home. He threw himself at his cousin's feet and begged, "Please, you have to help me get free of this poison!"

He expected Erik to tease him, to make some joke about the colors or the state of his dress, but for once, Erik was serious. He beckoned Jellal into the house. "Come, let's get you cleaned up and in a bed. I'll send a boy to retrieve Richard." When Jellal crossed the threshold, Erik caught him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Are you determined? Will you let us do what needs to be done?"

Jellal didn't have a doubt, "Yes."

Erik hugged Jellal tight. There was a hitch to his voice when he whispered,"Good man, good man. I'm so glad you're finally back."


	12. Reunited

When Miss Strauss asked, "Mr. Fernandes, have you met Miss Erza Belserion before? I believe for a few years you were neighbors," Jellal felt as if the world stood still. He had thought he would never see her again. Even in his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined her to grow into a more beautiful woman than the one that Miss Strauss now brought before him. He could only stare as the colors in the room around them blurred and the sounds of the other guests dulled to an indiscernible hum. He missed most of Miss Strauss' introduction. His brain regained consciousness when Miss Strauss twittered, "Can you imagine, she lived in that house with Lord Dreyar as his sister during his naughtiest years! I've heard so many terrible stories about his exploits, it must have been very taxing!"

Erza smiled shyly. "Oh no, Laxus ignored me most of the time." She cut her eyes in Jellal's direction and she added, "Really, the only thing he did to bother me is make sure that I was fully aware of the fact that he was getting dessert when I wasn't." Jellal's lips lifted into a dopey grin as he remembered the little girl with a fondness for cake. He found himself unable to take his eyes off hers, they were a color he could only describe as autumn, sparkling as they did with flecks of amber and chestnut. They were mesmerizing.

Jellal's smile faltered a bit when Erza turned back to Miss Strauss and said, "I cannot say that I know  _Mr. Fernandes_ , but I believe I saw him from my window when he would come to visit Laxus." Her expression was more somber when she turned her attention back to Jellal. "He always reminded me of someone. . ."

Miss Strauss brushed right over Erza's jab. She leaned towards Jellal with her wide toothy smile and said, "Well then, Miss Belserion  _meet_ Mr. Fernandes."

Jellal bowed his head slightly and said, "Pleased to meet you Miss Belserion."

Erza gave the tiniest of curtsies and responded, "And I you, Mr. Fernandes."

Miss Strauss giggled, "There, now you have been properly introduced! It does not surprise me in the least that Lord Dreyar never did it himself though he should have." She then took Erza's arm and leaned in as if she were some merchant's wife gossiping at the market. "Mr. Fernandes is quite fascinating. He just arrived home from the East Indies a few months ago. He's been hiding at the Duke of Dreyar's estate in Magnolia but I convinced him to accompany me for the season with his cousin." She then lifted herself on tiptoe to look over all of their heads, "Now, I'm sure I saw Mr. Kobaru around here somewhere."

"He's probably hiding out in some dark corner, this party is just a little too large for his liking." Jellal couldn't help with the search, his eyes kept being drawn to Erza's bright red hair. It was just as beautiful as he remembered if not more so, he felt strangely compelled to touch it.

Miss Strauss frowned, "Oh? That's a shame, and here I thought he was starting to like these things."

"How long were you in the Indies?" Erza asked. Her no-nonsense tone made Jellal feel as if she read his thoughts. He clasped his hands behind his back.

He glanced away from her hair but was sure he turned a shade near its color when he responded, "About five years or so."

Erza moved forward slightly. "Did you find it  _interesting_?"

Jellal looked at her again, his eyes narrowed. He couldn't decide if her question was genuine curiosity or a jab at the stupid excuses he left her with so many years ago.

Miss Strauss leaned Erza's way and murmured, "If he didn't find it interesting, he at least found it profitable."

Jellal sighed internally, he really wished Miss Strauss hadn't said a thing and he was confused as to why she had. Since they arrived in London just a month prior, Jellal had found himself having to navigate the dangerous waters of young women who were desperate for a gentleman of high worth, especially one so young and handsome. He had no desire to marry, and at that time he felt his feelings on the matter would never change. Especially not for a woman whose interest in him was purely financial. No matter how fetching the lady, Jellal could only see his mother in their hopeful expressions and he was determined not to allow history to repeat itself.

Miss Strauss knew very well of Jellal's issue with trollops after his fortune. She had been instrumental in saving him more than a few times, the worst being when Miss Realight attempted to sneak into his bedroom after a particularly rambunctious crush. So now, Jellal felt slightly betrayed to have Miss Strauss tell Erza of his current financial situation. Especially when Erza turned a shrewd eye to him and said, "Is that so?"

Jellal felt cold, to have Erza, his Erza, turn into yet another lady whose eyes were only for the size of a man's purse was more than he could bear. He started to bow his head to excuse himself but then Erza said, "but tell me, was it exciting? Did you learn anything? I have only been able to read stories but from what I hear the area is fascinating!" She turned to Miss Strauss and his heart warmed to hear her chatter, "Can you imagine Mira, elephants and monkeys! And the fabrics. . ." Her eyes were bright when she turned back to Jellal and asked, "Are they really every color of the rainbow? I can barely picture it, it just sounds so fantastical."

Jellal smiled a smile he forgot he had at the sound of her curiosity and enthusiasm. It brought him back to those years ago, when he still knew what happiness was. "It really is indescribable, but yes there are many colors that you don't get to see as often here," he said.

She was about to say something more when a large man broke their circle. "Miss Belserion, pardon me, but your mother sent me to fetch you."

Erza's mouth flattened to a tight line before she asked, "Could you tell her I will be there in a moment Lord Groh?"

"No, she needs you now. I cannot return without you." From the way the man smiled, Jellal immediately decided he didn't like him. He seemed to take way too much pleasure in Erza's discomfort.

Erza scowled over Lord Groh's shoulder and Jellal followed her gaze. A chill went through him when his eyes met those of the Countess. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered but if Erza's eyes were like autumn, the Countess' were a winter's night, cold and disapproving. Erza appeared to read something in her mother's expression. She sighed and said, "My apologies Mira but I must see what she needs." Before stepping away, she lightly touched Jellal's arm and quietly added, "It really was lovely to see you again."

He looked down at her and thought 'lovely' was an understatement but he couldn't think of anything to say other than "likewise."

He watched her walk away and noticed her reluctance to take Lord Groh's arm. It made him wish he had offered to go with her. It would have been worth the risk of her mother's displeasure, if only to save her from that man's unpleasant company. Her mother disappeared towards the front hall before Erza arrived, forcing Erza to follow her that way as well.

Behind him he heard Erik say, "What's wrong with him? Why is he staring off into the crowd like an idiot?"

"It's love at first sight!" Miss Strauss swooned.

Jellal cringed at her words and turned back with a glower. "It is  _not_  Miss Strauss, don't be so silly."

Miss Strauss waved him off. "Oh please Mr. Fernandes, you haven't taken your eyes off her since I first brought her over. Miss Belserion is quite fetching, is she not? I thought you two would be so well matched because of how well you handle Lord Dreyar's nonsense."

"That's hardly a reason for a match Miss Strauss," Jellal said dryly.

When he turned to Erik his cousin was watching him studiously. "I'm sorry Miss Strauss but I don't think our Mr. Fernandes here is quite ready for romance. . ."

Jellal heard his cousin's unspoken words. He had just recovered, he was not ready for any sort of relationship, he shouldn't even be looking. It had only been little over half a year since the withdrawal symptoms subsided and he still hadn't slept a full night. A woman might be just the thing to throw him back to step one. Jellal knew all of this very well, unfortunately, it didn't stop him from hoping Erza would reappear. He found himself cutting his eyes back towards the front hall every chance he could.

Miss Strauss pouted. "I can't see why not!" When Jellal and Erik just stared at her, she made a sound of disgust. "You two are just as terrible as Lord Dreyar. You can't wait forever you know, one day you'll be old and wrinkled and the best catches won't have you. This isn't like the old days when you could trade a woman for a cow you know!"

Jellal grinned at her distress. "I hope I'm still at least a few years away from wrinkles Miss Strauss, don't put me in my grave yet."

"I always thought wrinkles made a man look more distinguished anyway," added Erik.

Miss Strauss sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll admit it. I feel wrinkles can improve on a man's handsomeness." She whipped out her fan and opened it, then shut it quickly. "It's probably because it makes a man appear somewhat mature . . .unlike you two."

"I'll have you know, I'm very mature," Jellal said, facetiously puffing out his chest.

Miss Strauss snorted, "It's hard to take you seriously when I know what you did to Miss Blendy yesterday."

Jellal groaned, "I had to go out that window, the woman seemed to be suggesting I use her chest as a pillow she was pushing them so close!"

Miss Strauss put down her fan and looked at Jellal with large pleading eyes. "Are you absolutely sure you are not interested? Not even the tiniest bit?"

Miss Strauss was completely unaware of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Jellal's time in India. Jellal knew this was her way of attempting to cure his depression and Jellal appreciated her concern, but this area was the last place he wanted her meddling. He smiled tightly and shook his head. "I am sorry to disappoint you Miss Strauss but I have no desire to earn the affections of any woman. In fact, I have no plans on  _ever_ courting a woman, much less marrying one. I am quite happy on my own."

Miss Strauss nodded. "I will respect your decision. . ." A small smile grew on her face, "I have to admit though, I have trouble believing you. You have now checked the entrance to the front hall nineteen times. I think you are trying to catch one more glimpse of red hair, so I won't give up hope yet," Miss Strauss teased.

Jellal's mouth dropped, he hadn't realized he was being so obvious. Before he could think of a clever defense, Miss Strauss laughed and, with a wink, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Looks like yer slipping a bit," Erik murmured.

Jellal frowned, "Is it wrong to be distracted by something beautiful? Just because I look at a flower doesn't mean I want to pick it."

"I've never seen ya get so distracted before," Erik said carefully.

Jellal almost responded with, "Well that's because I've never seen anything that beautiful before," but, realizing that such a sentiment would not help his cause, he held his tongue. Instead he said, "I'm feeling a bit tired, that's probably the cause. Maybe we should go get the carriage."

Erik gave an exaggerated sigh. "It's about time, the nonsense in this room is making my head hurt."


End file.
